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This was officially announced by the project management at Friday lunchtime at the sailing club Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee in Berlin, Germany. Filled with pride and satisfaction KUHWEIDE had flown back to his home town Berlin from Spain in the morning.

It was a truly historic moment for two reasons. 'The first serious German campaign is now on it's way to the starting line of the first America's Cup ever taking place in Europe,' said the 1964 Olympic champion in the Finn. The German Internet service provider United Internet AG, known by it's trademarks GMX and 1&1, had virtually stepped in at the last minute and thus secured the project until 2007.

'Sailing, as a high-tech sport, and our Internet business are a perfect match,' explained Ralph DOMMERMUTH, head of United Internet AG. In return for the main sponsoring, United Internet AG has secured half of the advertising space on board and in the team ambience. 'We are open to a second sponsor as long as it is a good match to the campaign. However there is no economic need for one,' said Uwe SASSE, Managing Director of the DC 2007 AG.

DOMMERMUTH, himself a yachtsman, has taken over 50% of the DC 2007 AG stocks, and has committed himself privately to providing further capital if required for achieving the sporting targets. 'We still want to be in the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup,' confirmed Danish skipper Jesper BANK. The two-time Olympic gold medallist had reached a surprising fifth rank with the Swedish Amercia's Cup syndicate Victory Challenge in 2003. BANK said, 'We are certainly ready to celebrate today, but from tomorrow, it will be two years of hard work.'

Even now, there is an enormous interest in the 32nd America's Cup, that had been taking place more or less exclusively in the USA for 150 years and last time in New Zealand. The two public German broadcasting stations ARD und ZDF have contractually secured themselves the rights for TV transmission. In June this year, there will be the first qualification races to establish the best of all challengers who in the summer of 2007 will compete with Swiss title holder Alinghi from Société Nautique de Genève.