6th Louis Vuitton Cup
Date	1 October 2002 - 19 January 2003
Winner	Alinghi Alinghi Alinghi is the syndicate set up by Ernesto Bertarelli, racing under the colors of the Société Nautique de Genève, to challenge for the America's Cup. Bertarelli had raced several smaller yachts named Alinghi previously, but 2003 was his first attempt at the America's Cup...
Location	Auckland Auckland The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world... , New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

The 6th Louis Vuitton Cup

Louis Vuitton Cup

The Louis Vuitton Cup is a yachting competition connected with the America's Cup. The Louis Vuitton Cup was used as the selection series to select the team to sail as the challenger in the America's Cup...

 was held in Auckland

Auckland

The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

 in 2003. The winner, Alinghi

Alinghi

Alinghi is the syndicate set up by Ernesto Bertarelli, racing under the colors of the Société Nautique de Genève, to challenge for the America's Cup. Bertarelli had raced several smaller yachts named Alinghi previously, but 2003 was his first attempt at the America's Cup...

, went on to challenge for the 2003 America's Cup.

The teams

The Yacht Club Punta Ala was the challenger of record.

Club	Team	Skipper	Yachts
Société Nautique de Genève Société Nautique de Genève The Société Nautique de Genève is a yacht club based in Geneva . It was founded in 1872 with the goal of developing nautical sports and high level sailors...	Alinghi Alinghi Alinghi is the syndicate set up by Ernesto Bertarelli, racing under the colors of the Société Nautique de Genève, to challenge for the America's Cup. Bertarelli had raced several smaller yachts named Alinghi previously, but 2003 was his first attempt at the America's Cup...	Russell Coutts Russell Coutts Sir Russell Coutts, KNZM, CBE is a competitive sailor. His achievements include a Gold medal in the Finn Class in the 1984 Olympic Games, winning the America's Cup four times, the ISAF World Youth championships, three World Match Racing Championships, numerous international match race wins and...	SUI-64
Royal Ocean Racing Club Royal Ocean Racing Club The Royal Ocean Racing Club also called RORC was established in 1925 as a result of a race to the Fastnet rock from Cowes and finishing in Plymouth. The RORC is the principal organiser of offshore yacht races in the UK, including the Fastnet race, the Admirals Cup and the Commodore's Cup...	GBR Challenge	Ian Walker Ian Walker (sailor) Ian Walker is one of Britain’s most successful sailors, with two Olympic silver medals to his name. Walker also coached Shirley Robertson and her Yngling Team to gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics...	GBR-70
Union Nationale Pour La Course au Large Union Nationale pour la Course au Large The Union Nationale pour la Course au Large also called UNCL is a French yacht clubUNCL was established in 1971 through a merger of the Union Nationale des Croiseurs , and the Groupe des Croiseurs Légers . UNC itself was formed at Brest in 1913 to organise offshore racing in France as this was...	Le Defi Areva	Luc Pillot Luc Pillot Luc Pillot is a French sailor and Olympic champion.He won a gold medal in the 470 Class at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, together with Thierry Peponnet. They received bronze medals in 1984....	FRA-69
Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia	Mascalzone Latino	Vincenzo Onorato	ITA-72
Seattle Yacht Club	OneWorld	Peter Gilmour Peter Gilmour Peter Gilmour is an Australian sailing skipper of great note. He is an America's Cup veteran and was named Western Australian Sportsman of the Year in 1987. He is also the only 4 time World Match racing Tour Champion...	USA-65 & USA-67
Golden Gate Yacht Club Golden Gate Yacht Club The Golden Gate Yacht Club is a yacht club founded in 1939 and is the current holder of the America's Cup won by its racing team BMW Oracle Racing.In 1939 the first members built a clubhouse on a barge in the San Francisco Marina...	Oracle BMW Racing BMW Oracle Racing Oracle Racing is an American sailboat racing syndicate initially formed to compete for the 2003 America’s Cup. They competed again in the 2007 event before winning the 33rd America's Cup regatta in 2010 - representing the Golden Gate Yacht Club....	Peter Holmberg Peter Holmberg Peter Holmberg is a sailor from the U.S. Virgin Islands, who won a silver medal in Men's Finn Class in the 1988 Summer Olympics, his country's only Olympic medal so far. He was born on Saint Thomas.-External links:*... Chris Dickson Chris Dickson (sailor) Christopher Stuart Dickson, born 3 November 1961 in Auckland, is an internationally known sailor from New Zealand. He was world youth champion three years in succession and later became world match race champion three times...	USA-76
Yacht Club Punta Ala	Prada Challenge	Francesco de Angelis Francesco de Angelis (yachtsman) Francesco de Angelis is an Italian yachtsman. de Angelis is the first Italian skipper to win a Louis Vuitton Cup, a feat he accomplished in 1999-2000 with Luna Rossa ITA45....	ITA-74
New York Yacht Club New York Yacht Club The New York Yacht Club is a private social club and yacht club based in New York City and Newport, Rhode Island. It was founded in 1844 by nine prominent sportsmen. The members have contributed to the sport of yachting and yacht design. The organization has over 3,000 members as of 2011. ...	Team Dennis Conner Stars & Stripes (yacht) Stars & Stripes is the name of a series of racing yachts operated by Dennis Conner to compete in the America's Cup. The name "Stars & Stripes" refers to the nickname often used for the flag of the United States.- 12-metre class yachts :1987 America's Cup...	Dennis Conner Dennis Conner Dennis Conner is an American yachtsman, noted for winning the bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics, two Star World Championships, and four wins in the America's Cup.-America's Cup:...	USA-66 & USA-77
Gamla Stans Yacht Sallskap	Victory Challenge Victory Challenge Victory Challenge was a Swedish yacht racing team that competed in 2003 America's Cup and 2007 America's Cup. The team was initiated in 1999 by Swedish businessman Jan Stenbeck, and after his death in August 2002, his son Hugo Stenbeck took over....	Mats Johansson	SWE-63 & SWE-73

Alinghi

Founded by Swiss businessman Ernesto Bertarelli

Ernesto Bertarelli

Ernesto Bertarelli is a Swiss-Italian billionaire and entrepreneur.Together with his extended family, Bertarelli was ranked 81st in the 2011 annual ranking of the world's wealthiest people compiled and published by Forbes magazine, The family's wealth was estimated at US$10.0...

, Alinghi featured Russell Coutts

Russell Coutts

Sir Russell Coutts, KNZM, CBE is a competitive sailor. His achievements include a Gold medal in the Finn Class in the 1984 Olympic Games, winning the America's Cup four times, the ISAF World Youth championships, three World Match Racing Championships, numerous international match race wins and...

 and Brad Butterworth

Brad Butterworth

Bradley William Butterworth, OBE is a world-renowned yachtsman known for the role he played as tactician and skipper in the America's Cup for Team New Zealand and the Alinghi team of Switzerland.He was born in Te Awamutu, New Zealand in 1959...

 who had both joined from Team New Zealand. Jochen Schuemann was also involved in the team.

GBR Challenge

Put together by Peter Harrison and New Zealander David Barnes

David Barnes (sailor)

David Barnes is a sailor from New Zealand. He skippered the KZ1 yacht which lost to the United States in the 1988 America's Cup race.He sailed in the 2005–06 Volvo Ocean Race, and OK s.-References:...

, the team was skippered by Ian Walker

Ian Walker (sailor)

Ian Walker is one of Britain’s most successful sailors, with two Olympic silver medals to his name. Walker also coached Shirley Robertson and her Yngling Team to gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics...

. GBR 70 was known as Wight Lightning while GBR 78 was called Wight Magic.

Le Defi Areva

Despite 2000 skipper Bertrand Pace joining Team New Zealand

Team New Zealand

Team New Zealand is a sailing team based in Auckland, New Zealand representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.Team New Zealand has become a household name in their home country following their consecutive wins in the America's Cup in 1995 and 2000...

, Le Defi returned in 2003 with Luc Pillot skippering FRA 79.

Mascalzone Latino

Headed by shipping magnate Vincenzo Onorato, Mascalzone Latino featured an all-Italian crew. The syndicate was only established in 2001 and Paolo Ciann served as helmsman.

OneWorld

Part-financed by Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...

 mogul Paul Allen

Paul Allen

Paul Gardner Allen is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. Allen co-founded Microsoft with Bill Gates...

, OneWorld was based in Seattle. Skippered by Peter Gilmour

Peter Gilmour

Peter Gilmour is an Australian sailing skipper of great note. He is an America's Cup veteran and was named Western Australian Sportsman of the Year in 1987. He is also the only 4 time World Match racing Tour Champion...

, the team was docked one Louis Vuitton point by an arbitration panel for being in possession of design secrets from another team.

Oracle BMW Racing

Founded by Larry Ellison

Larry Ellison

Lawrence Joseph "Larry" Ellison is the co-founder and chief executive officer of Oracle Corporation, one of the world's leading enterprise software companies. As of 2011, he is the third wealthiest American citizen, with an estimated worth of $33 billion.- Early life :Larry Ellison was born in the...

 who bought the assets of 2000 syndicate AmericaOne. The team was skippered by Peter Holmberg

Peter Holmberg

Peter Holmberg is a sailor from the U.S. Virgin Islands, who won a silver medal in Men's Finn Class in the 1988 Summer Olympics, his country's only Olympic medal so far. He was born on Saint Thomas.-External links:*...

 and also featured Paul Cayard

Paul Cayard

Paul Pierre Cayard is an American yachtsman and professional sailor. He has competed at multiple world championship level sailing events, including the America's Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race and the Olympic Games. In 1998 he was selected as the Rolex Yachtsmen of the Year...

 and Chris Dickson

Chris Dickson (sailor)

Christopher Stuart Dickson, born 3 November 1961 in Auckland, is an internationally known sailor from New Zealand. He was world youth champion three years in succession and later became world match race champion three times...

. USA 71 and USA 76 were designed by Bruce Farr

Bruce Farr

Bruce K. Farr OBE is a designer of racing and cruising yachts.Farr began building boats at 13 in Warkworth near Auckland,New Zealand.His first boats were plywood hard chine Moth class designs.He later designed and built variants of Cherubs and especially Flying 18s.His early designs were built in...

.

Prada Challenge

Prada's crew included members of the 2000 Young America syndicate. They were again skippered by Francesco de Angelis

Francesco De Angelis

Francesco De Angelis is an Italian violinist, both leader and soloist of the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala and Filarmonica della Scala. He is internationally acclaimed as one of the major talented musician by critics and public alike...

 and Rod Davis was in the afterguard.

Team Dennis Conner

Team Dennis Conner

Dennis Conner

Dennis Conner is an American yachtsman, noted for winning the bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics, two Star World Championships, and four wins in the America's Cup.-America's Cup:...

's USA 77 suffered a massive blow when it sunk off the Californian coast in July before the Cup began.

Victory Challenge

Principal backer Jan Stenbeck

Jan Stenbeck

Jan Stenbeck was a Swedish media owner. He was brother of the former Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, Margaretha af Ugglas...

died of a heart attack in August 2002. This was Sweden's first America's Cup bid since 1992.

Round robin

Team name	Races	Won	RR1 Pts.	RR2 Pts.	Total Pts.	Ranking
Alinghi	16	13	7	6	13	1
BMWOracle	16	12	5	7	12	2
OneWorld	16	13	8	5	12*	3
Prada Challenge	16	11	4	7	11	4
Victory Challenge	16	7	3	4	7	5
GBR Challenge	16	7	4	3	7	6
Stars & Stripes	16	6	5	1	6	7
Le Defi Areva	16	2	1	1	2	8
Mascalzone Latino	16	1	0	1	1	9

* OneWorld was deducted one race win.

Quarter finals

Finals

External links

• ultimatesail.com