[Örn got the number SWE 63 – the next boat will become SWE 73]

(2002-02-10, Auckland) Örn has the sail number SWE 63. It is now confirmed that the construction of Victory Challenge's second America's Cup-boat has started. It has the sail number SWE 73.
"When we built Örn we followed a more traditional design from America's Cup 2000. For the boat that we now have started to build there is a whole new concept" says Mats Johansson, Project Manager of the Swedish America's Cup-challenge.

His statement comes one day before the start of the international America's Cup-regatta, where Victory Challenge, as the sole syndicate, participates with a new boat; Örn.
Team New Zealand is sailing with NZL 60, the winner boat from America's Cup 2000. GBR Challenge and OneWorld are also using boats of the year 2000-generation.
So, in the same time as Victory Challenge breaks against the tradition and shows a boat designed for the America's Cup which starts with Louis Vuitton Cup on October 1st, the construction of the next boat has already started in Gothenburg. Each syndicate may build two boats.
Both the boat designer German Frers Jr. and the boat builder Chris Mellow left the base in Auckland last month.
They had been present and followed the first sailing with Örn. The purpose was to gather as much experience possible for the second construction start.
"When we got the number 63 we wanted that the next boat should get 73, to make it practical and easy" says Mats Johansson.
As Victory Challenge last year got the number 63 for Örn it was also the first sail number that was distributed for the America's Cup 2003.
Together with the Swiss Alinghi (SUI 64) Sweden was also first finishing a boat for the next edition of the world's oldest and established sailing competition.

[Mats Johansson at the air transport of Örn – with the competitor SUI 63 onboard]

Today each and one of the challengers have started with their boat constructions.
The last syndicates to start with their first boat constructions was the two Italian challengers; the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup last time, Italian Prada, which has got the number ITA 74, and the new syndicate Mascalzone Latino, with ITA 72.
The American OneWorld was the first syndicate – before Sweden – that started with the construction of boat number two and have thereby both USA 65 and USA 67.
The only real – official – problem regarding the distribution of sail numbers so far has been about 69.
The distribution of that number to the British GBR Challenge caused the same reaction as when number 13 should be distributed as the international America's Cup-class was introduced for the cup 1992 in San Diego. They turned it down. GBR Challenge got GBR 70 instead.
But the French Le Defi Areva made a special request and it was accepted both by the defender Team New Zealand and the other challengers. FRA 69 was a fact for this year's Louis Vuitton Cup.
Bert Willborg/Victory Challenge