Golden Gate Yacht Club Challenge For America's Cup

Golden Gate Yacht Club Challenge For America's Cup Accepted

A challenge from the Golden Gate Yacht Club for the 31st America's Cup regatta in Auckland, New Zealand in 2002/2003 has been formally accepted by the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. This third American syndicate brings the current number of challengers to ten.

Peter Taylor, the Commodore of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, confirmed the acceptance of the challenge from the San Francisco-based Golden Gate Yacht Club which is partnered with the Oracle Racing Team.

The Golden Gate Yacht Club was founded in 1939 when its members built a clubhouse on a barge in San Francisco marina. After the 1989 earthquake severely damaged the club, members rebuilt it at its present address which is No. 1 Yacht Road, San Francisco.

The Commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, Norbert A. Bajurin, said in a letter accompanying the entry that he was "proud and excited" to be embarking on the club's first ever challenge for the America's Cup.

The Golden Gate Yacht Club paid an entry fee of $US300,000; having entered after the first deadline of March 1, 2001. The other nine yacht clubs submitted challenges accompanied by an entry fee of $US150,000 in time for that first deadline. The final date for entries is March 1, 2002.

The ten challenges currently received by the RNZYS are:

Yacht Club Punta Ala Prada Italy
Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia tba Italy
Seattle Yacht Club One World USA
New York Yacht Club Stars and Stripes USA
Golden Gate Yacht Club Oracle Racing USA
Societe Nautique de Geneve Swiss Challenge Switzerland
Dusseldorf Yacht Club Illbruck Challenge Germany
Union Nationale pour la Course au Large le Defi France
Royal Ocean Racing Club Brittania United Kingdom
Gamla Stans Yacht Sallskap Victory Challenge Sweden

9th May, 2001

Peter Taylor
Commodore
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron

Telephone: 021 956 776

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