[Champagne duel yesterday between Magnus Augustson and Magnus Holmberg. (c) Franck Socha]

(2002-11-19, Auckland) This isn't the way it looks on the Victory Challenge base in Auckland today. It's quite quiet as all the sailors have been given a well-earned day of rest after a 4-1 win against Le Défi Areva in the quarterfinals.
But there's full activity in the boat yard. Work to make Orm even faster for the next stage of the Louis Vuitton Cup had already started last night as soon as the boat had been lifted out of the water.

All the work being done in the boat yard is aimed at having Orm ready in time for the "second chance" matches starting on Saturday - and having all the changes tested beforehand.

Every well-prepared syndicate has a plan for its continued participation in the Louis Vuitton Cup. While the crew is focusing on the day's match, boat designer German Frers Jr. and sail designer Andrew Lechte together with boat builders and sail makers must look forward as well.

This form of continuous development will be carried out until the last match has been sailed. It has - this time out - only for Mascalzone Latino, Le Défi Areva and GBR Challenge. They are eliminated. Six challengers are left.

Alinghi Challenge and Oracle BMW Racing are having the easiest time right now. They have already qualified for the semifinals by winning their quarterfinal matches in the top half. They can carry out their improvements in peace and quiet until December 9 when they start to race again.

It's harder for the four teams that are left; two losers in the top half, OneWorld and Prada, and the winners in the bottom half, Victory Challenge and Team Dennis Conner, that only have until Saturday to improve their boats before it's time to race again.

OneWorld has the privilege of choosing opponent, as it is the highest ranked team of the four after the round robins. OneWorld can choose any of the other three challengers for their "second chance". The decision is expected within hours on Tuesday afternoon in Auckland.

[All the team after yesterday's victory. (c) Franck Socha]

But Victory Challenge can't choose to wait for this choice to be made. So yesterday, as soon as Orm had been towed in and the team had celebrated their advance to the next stage of the Louis Vuitton Cup, Victory Challenge started putting their planned modifications to work.

Orm was lifted from the water with the traveller crane and her mast was lifted off before she was taken into the boat yard where the top-secret work was started immediately by the night shift. This work was eventually taken over by the early morning shift.
"We're making adjustments both above and below the waterline and we'll be testing new types of sail", says Mats Johansson, project leader and skipper for Victory Challenge.

The sailors will already be back on base again tomorrow. Their morning schedule will be the usual, gym at 6.30 and briefing 8.30.

Bert Willborg/Victory Challenge