The New Zealand yacthsman, Russell Coutts, says this summer's Louis Vuitton Pacific Series will be an instant classic and he will skipper the Oracle entry.
The Team New Zealand driven series will be held from late January on Auckland's Waitemata Harbour and has attracted seven top America's Cup class competitors as well as interest from others.
Coutts, Chief Executive of Cup syndicate BMW Oracle, says there's a tremendous hunger in the sailing community for a multi-challenger regatta with world-class sailing teams competing under rules that are fair and promote real competition.