Dutch America’s Cup Challenge
A new Dutch America’s Cup challenge is readying itself for the 36th America’s Cup. The challenger is the sixth to be accepted by the Cup holders Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ).
The Dutchsail team is headed up by former Team Oracle Cup sailor and Volvo Ocean Race skipper Simeon Tienpoint, and has announced Dirk Kramers as lead designer. Kramers has worked on 11 Cup campaigns, including the designs of four winners. Most recently he was head of engineering for Sir Ben Ainslie’s British team Land Rover BAR.
Peter van Niekerk will be team manager. Van Niekerk is a two times Olympian and twice America’s Cup winner with Team Alinghi and is set to develop a Dutch squad.
Carolijn Brouwer, three times Olympian and winner of the last Volvo Ocean Race with Dongfeng Race Team, has been appointed to helm the Dutch AC75. She is set to become the first female helmsman to steer a challenger (Leslie Egnot helmed the mostly female crew on Mighty Mary in 1995, but only as far as the US Defence selection trials).
The Dutch Cup entry, which jointly represents the Royal Netherlands Yacht
Club Muiden and Royal Maas Yacht Club, has already run into controversy. An America’s Cup arbitration panel is hearing a complaint launched by the Challenger of Record over the acceptance of three late entries by
ETNZ (the other two being the Malta Altus Challenge and Stars & Stripes Team USA) and the payment of late entry fees.
Practically, all of the late entries have a mountain to climb in order to be ready to compete alongside challengers Ineos Team UK and American Magic.