HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.R. NO.247           
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE  RESOLUTION

  RECOGNIZING THE ABRACADABRA 2000, ALOHA RACING FOUNDATION, AND
    WAIKIKI YACHT CLUB CHALLENGE TO THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND
    YACHT SQUADRON AMERICA'S CUP XXX.



 1        WHEREAS, the America's Cup is the oldest trophy in the
 2   history of United States sports, first awarded to the U.S.
 3   yacht "America" in 1851 off England's Isle of Wight. For one
 4   hundred and thirteen years the prowess of American sailors
 5   withstood repeated challenges by foreign yachtsmen, a sporting
 6   record that is unlikely to ever be broken; and
 7   
 8        WHEREAS, Team New Zealand from the Royal New Zealand Yacht
 9   Squadron defeated the Americans in America's Cup XXIX in San
10   Diego, California in 1995, taking the cup out of the United
11   States for only the second time in its history.  The next
12   challenge, America's Cup XXX, will take place in the "City of
13   Sails", Auckland, New Zealand, beginning in October, 1999 and
14   the final series taking place in February, 2000; and
15   
16        WHEREAS, the Aloha Racing Foundation, officially sponsored
17   by the Waikiki Yacht Club and others, issued Hawaii's first-
18   ever official challenge for the America's Cup.  Having engaged
19   the renowned core design team of Andy Dovell and Ian Burns to
20   design its two vessels, currently being constructed at Ko Olina
21   marina on Oahu, the local team is positioned as a strong
22   contender for America's Cup XXX; and
23   
24        WHEREAS, Hawaii's official entry in America's Cup XXX,
25   Abracadabra 2000, will be christened in May, 1999 at Ko Olina
26   marina and  has named four-time America's Cup veteran and
27   Olympic medalist John Kolius as skipper of Abracadabra 2000;
28   and
29   
30        WHEREAS, Aloha Racing's yachts, with its hulls painted by
31   internationally-renowned environmental marine artist and Hawaii
32   resident, Wyland, will be a major media focus before, during,
33   and after America's Cup XXX; and
34   
35        WHEREAS, the Aloha Racing Foundation has attracted such
36   major corporate sponsors, raised millions of dollars in cash
37   and in-kind sponsorship funding, and is aggressively seeking
38   the additional corporate and private sponsorship funds
39   necessary to fully fund its campaign to return the America's

 
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                                  H.R. NO.247           
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1   Cup to the United States in general, and the State of Hawaii in
 2   particular; and
 3   
 4        WHEREAS, Aloha Racing's presence in Hawaii will bring $3
 5   million in revenues to the State of Hawaii and will generate an
 6   additional $400,000 in revenues from sponsor and supporter
 7   spending between September 1998 and August 1999 and an
 8   estimated $10 million in media exposure related to America's
 9   Cup XXX; and
10   
11        WHEREAS, should the Aloha Racing Challenge Team's attempt
12   to win America's Cup prove successful, Honolulu will become the
13   host city for the next challenge, America's Cup XXXI, in 2003,
14   and could realize a potential financial gain to Hawaii of
15   several billion dollars, as well as enormous worldwide
16   publicity; now, therefore,
17   
18        BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
19   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
20   of 1999, that the people of Hawaii extend their support to the
21   Aloha Racing Foundation, its sponsors, and the Waikiki Yacht
22   Club, in their endeavor to bring the America's Cup home to the
23   United States and to establish Hawaii as the premier yacht
24   racing capital of the world; and
25   
26        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Department of Business,
27   Economic Development, and Tourism and the Hawaii Tourism
28   Authority support to the greatest extent possible the efforts
29   of the Aloha Racing Foundation, its sponsors, and the Waikiki
30   Yacht Club, in order to ensure success and the appropriate
31   promotion of Hawaii's first-time challenge for the America's
32   Cup; and
33   
34        BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
35   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of
36   Business, Economic Development, and Tourism, the Hawaii Tourism
37   Authority, the Aloha Racing Foundation, and the Waikiki Yacht
38   Club.
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43                         OFFERED BY:  ____________________________