A practice race for all competitors will be held this Sunday 3rd October. There will be no sailing on Monday 4 October as the day will be dedicated to Opening Ceremony festivities and a spectacular Mediterranean fleet parade.

The high profile Spanish regattas have dominated the media in the region during the past few weeks as they will officially launch Valencia as the host city for the 32nd America’s Cup Match in 2007.

Everyone’s apparently talking yachting in this historic port city that dates back to AD 138. Famous for its oranges, saffron, olive oil and fine wines it has been ruled by Romans, Visigoths and Moors.

Today Valencia is the third biggest city in Spain with thriving shipbuilding, textile and tile industries. Construction cranes are said to already dominate the skyline while the hosting of the America’s Cup is expected to attract a further 12,5 billion in investments and generate employment for over 12 000 people.

On the start line on Tuesday with Team Shosholoza will be Emirates Team New Zealand who specially flew their second race boat to Valencia in a heavy lift cargo plane from New Zealand after their campaign yacht was seriously damaged in a mini-tornado in Marseille earlier this month.

The Swiss Alinghi yacht, also blown from its cradle in Marseille, has been repaired in time, while the United States’ BMW Oracle Racing Team will be racing their second race boat which was already in Valencia. The two French teams le Defi and K-challenge will be in Valencia while two new challenges come from Italy - the Luna Rossa and +39 Challenge - to push the fleet complement in the Spanish regattas to eight.

On Team Shosholoza there will be a number of position changes for Valencia. Mid grinder Sieraj Jacobs, who lost the tip of his little finger in a sailing accident while practising off Valencia last week will be line handler in the chase boat. South African professional yachtsmen Mike Joubert and Jonathan Swain who race on the international circuit, will join the crew as mid grinder and trimmer respectively.

Top SA dinghy and keelboat sailor Michael Giles of Port Elizabeth will join the team as reserve sailing and shore crew along with Joe Heywood and Ken Venn who were with the team in Marseille. Andre Julius joins the team as sail maker and reserve sailor.

British match racing champion Andy Green, who played a critical role as coach and tactician in Marseille re-joins the team in Valencia as well.

Meanwhile the team has kept to a strict schedule of 6am fitness training sessions and practise sailing from 1pm - 6pm despite Valencia’s hot 34 degree daily temperatures and the temptation to "do as the Spanish do" and take lengthy midday siestas.

The team has also been kept on the hop by TV crews from across Europe, all eager to interview the group of young South Africans who are part of Africa’s first ever challenge in the 153 year history of the America’s Cup.

The team’s typical African friendliness and passion to measure up to the best in the world continues to inspire the world’s media.

Even the official America’s Cup website says Team Shosholoza’s participation in the European regattas was eagerly awaited and describes them as ".. a group of young South African sailors who had never even set eyes on an America’s Cup class racing yacht until earlier this year.

"With a mere 40 days of ACC sailing under their belts, setting up camp next to the superstars from other teams much have seemed a daunting prospect. Earlier this summer when they took receipt of their boat, the old Luna Rossa from the Prada campaign in 2000, they didn’t even know how to hoist the mainsail. "

The team have come a long way since then and earned the respect of their competitors through their highly credible performance in Marseille earlier this month.

The 2004 America’s Cup pre-regattas, or Acts as they are known, are warm up events designed to give teams the opportunity to square up against each other. The 2005 and 2006 Acts will count towards seeding for the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup and the America’s Cup Match proper in 2007.   * Royal Cape Yacht Club in Cape Town is the official South African Challenge Club

* Mediterranean Shipping Company, a Geneva-based company, is currently the principal sponsor of the SA America’s Cup Challenge 2007 as part of the company’s 25 anniversary celebrations in South Africa. MSC is the second biggest container line in the world.

* Cape Union Mart are the proud suppliers of technical apparel and gear to Team Shosholoza and a supporter of the empowerment and development of previously disadvantaged sailors.

• TEAM SHOSHOLOZA CREW LIST Valencia Louis Vuitton Acts 2 & 3

  Captain Salvatore Sarno - 18th man (Durban)
  Geoff Meek  - Skipper/helmsman (Cape Town)
  Paul Standbridge -  traveller (Cape Town)
  Andy Green - tactician for Valencia Acts 2 and 3 (British)
  Ian Ainslie - strategist and aft grinder (ex Free State and Durban)
  Guido Verhovert - pitman (Cape Town)
  David Rae - mainsail trim (ex Pretoria)
  Marc Lagesse - navigator (ex Johannesburg)
  Alex Runciman - upwind trimmer (Cape Town)
  Marcello Burricks - starboard grinder (Ocean View)
  Mark Sadler - downwind trimmer (Cape Town)
  Ashton Sampson - mid bow (Grassy Park)
  Mike Joubert - mid grinder for Valencia Acts 2 and 3 (Gordon’s Bay)
  Golden Mgedeza - bowman (Kwa Thema, Springs)
  Solomon Dipeere  - second pitman (Kwa Thema, Springs)
  Davey Smith - port grinder (Cape Town)
  Charles Nankin - mast (Zeekoevlei)
  Jonathan Swain - trimmer for Valencia Acts  2 and 3 (ex Cape Town)
  Henri Hiddes - shore manager (ex Durban)
  Sieraj Jacobs - line handler Tender 1 (Grassy Park)
  Salvatore Siviero - physical fitness manager (Cape Town)

Reserve Sailing and Shore crew for Valencia Acts 2 and 3
  Joe Heywood - reserve sailing and shore crew (Cape Town)
  Ken Venn - reserve sailing and shore crew (Cape Town)
  Michael Giles - reserve sailing and shore crew (ex Port Elizabeth)
  Andre Julius - sail maker and reserve sailing (Cape Town)