[The new sailors: Billy Merrington, Paul Murray, Chresten Plinius and Conan Hunt]

(2002-04-07, Auckland) Each America's Cup team needs a professional sparring crew.
A crew that knows that for various reasons they will not be there when it's time to race - but who still plays an important role. You will meet five of them today, four of which are new additions to Victory Challenge; Mathew Hughes, Paul Murray, Billy Merrington and Chresten Plinius. The fifth, Conan Hunt, has been here for a while.

Full-time sparring sailors - or temporarily employed so often during the long days of Victory Challenge that they would count as full-time employees at any other workplace - have not been a question for the Swedish syndicate until after it moved operations to Auckland. Earlier, they had only been training with the former New Zealand Black Magic boat Cristina but since December, the newly built Örn is also in place. This means the team can train with two boats against each other.
· "We need two full teams so that we can raise the level and quality of our training sessions, that's why we have taken on some very competent sailors for sparring", says project head and skipper Mats Johansson. Two of them, Paul Murray and Billy Merrington, arrived straight from the Volvo Ocean Race, from which they left ahead of time, and two of them have America's Cup backgrounds, Paul Murray again and Matthew Hughes.

· Mathew Hughes is by far the youngest of the five. At 21 years old, he is just six months older that Victory Challenge's absolute youngest crewmember, Martin Krite. Despite his young years, Victory Challenge is Mathew Hughes's second America's Cup syndicate. He was part of Team New Zealand when they won the America's Cup 2000 and became the first non-American team to defend the world's oldest sailing trophy in their own waters.
· "I was definitely the youngest then, the next youngest was 24", says Mathew Hughes. From sailing optimist, laser and keelboat and playing rugby, he became determined to join Team New Zealand, he trained hard and was recruited as grinder in late 1998. He is the one that Victory Challenge hires the most as sparring grinder.

The remaining four are employed:

· Paul Murray is the oldest with his 33 years. He has three America's Cups behind him as sail maker and reserve crewmember. He was part of the New Zealand challenge in San Diego 1992 and he was with OneAustralia in 1995 when their boat sank during the Louis Vuitton Cup, reducing the number of employees that was needed. Being a New Zealander, he was allowed to transfer to Team New Zealand, who beat OneAustralia's remaining boat in the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup and went on to win their first America's Cup. He was also with Team New Zealand when they successfully defended the trophy in 2000. Like Peter "Billy" Merrington, he came directly to Victory Challenge from the Volvo Ocean Race, where they both signed off after the stage stop in Rio de Janeiro. Paul Murray has been with Assa Abloy since Christmas 2000. He was part of the crew up until three weeks before the start in Southampton - after which he was made part of the shore team at each stop, working with the sails ahead of the next stage. He was also part of Team EF when it won Whitbread, predecessor to the Volvo Ocean Race, again as sail maker but also sailing one of the stages from Baltimore to La Rochelle. He has also sailed with Nicorette. Employed as sparring trimmer

[Mathew Hughes - sparring grinder]

· Billy Merrington is 31, Australian, and was part of the back up crew for "norska djuice" in the Volvo Ocean Race, sailing the stage from Sydney to Rio de Janeiro. Amongst other things, he has taken part in seven Sydney-Hobart races and sailed with Nicorette. Actually he, Paul Murray, Conan Hunt and Ola Åstradsson (from the Royal Swedish Yacht Club, recently taken on as pitman/floater) all sailed together on Nicorette. Billy Merrington is employed as sparring trimmer/grinder.

· Chresten Plinius 29, Dane, has sailed match racing with the world elite for the last five years, most recently with Jesper Radich as skipper. He is Nordic Champion but has also continued with his education and has just completed his Master of Law. He is employed as sparring mastman.

· Conan Hunt 29, New Zealander, sailed with Nicorette for a year and took part in the Gotland Runt race and Sydney-Hobart. Earlier sailed an IMS 47, designed by Bruce Farr and called Ninety Seven, and is now employed as sparring midbow with Victory Challenge.

There were different reasons for these professional sailors joining Victory Challenge and also different reasons why they were available after it being too late for them to be registered in Sweden (before Mars 1 last year) in order to be allowed to compete. Most of them had been engaged in other sailing projects.

Mathew Hughes left Team New Zealand when the crew split up after the last cup. After that, he has been leading restaurant building projects. Prada and GBR Challenge were both interested in him but nothing evolved for various reasons. Finally, he came to the Swedish challenge after it was far too late to register in Sweden. Paul Murray and Billy Merrington left in the middle of the Volvo Ocean Race for different reasons. Chresten Plinius wanted to complete his Master's at home in Denmark above all else. Conan Hunt had to leave Nicorette, as did many others, when the company cut down its sponsoring of sailing races after September 11.
· "I didn't have any illusions, I know what my job is here and I'm focused", says Billy Merrington.

They're part of the team just because they are professional sailors. They do their job. They also have lots of experience and knowledge to contribute. But more than one of them could consider a more long-term solution with Victory Challenge - as permanent members of the crew - if the syndicate does well in its America's Cup challenge and continues its stake in the America's Cup 2006.

Bert Willborg/Victory Challenge