+39
Country: Italy Boat: ITA85
Head of team: Lorenzo Rizzardi
Team leader: Cesare Pasotti
Designer: Giovanni Ceccarelli
Skipper: Luca Devoti
Estimated budget: $55 million
Boat colour: Blue
Challenger ranking:9
HISTORY
Italians +39 were the second team to sign up for the challenger series, behind BMW Oracle Racing. Representing the Circolo Vela Gargnano yacht club +39 is a new player in the game. Until this year the Italians have been stuck racing the oldest boat. But they have won 22 matches over the past three years including an upset over Team New Zealand in 2005.
CREW
The team features rivals from the Finn class in the 2000 Olympics. Skipper Luca Devoti earned silver behind Iain Percy of Great Britain. The afterguard features Britons Ian Walker and Andrew Simpson. Walker says: "It's been tough for us - like we've always been sailing with handcuffs."
STRENGTHS
Iain Percy. One of the more likeable characters in the cup, the Brit is unafraid to rark things up on the startline and is equally unafraid to call things how he sees them off the water.
PROSPECTS
Funding has been an issue for +39. Until a few weeks ago it was unclear whether the team would make the startline. The lack of money is likely to see them exit after the double round robin.
(Fonte : nzherald.co.nz)
