Yacht / Country : Slovenia ( and Croatia  ) Sail Number :      SLO - 4 Syndicate :          Transoceansko regatno druatvo  “Yacoma" CEO :                  Bojan Butolen, Ljubo Versic, Neno Kovacevic       Yacht Club:          changed from the Galeb Yacht Club in Croatia                             to the Maribor Yacht Club in Slovenia Designer :            unknown team and Neno Kovacevic Boat Builder :     “Yacoma” – team, on a place in                             the vineyards around Maribor

c.K.Urtz 2012

Only a handful of pictures have been published, showing her hull of mahogany covered by a white GFR ( glass fiber reinforced plastic ) deck and cockpit mould.

http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/01/sports/yachting-despite-civil- war-croats-and-slovenes-save-their-america-s-cup- ntry.html?scp=1&sq=yachting%20December%201,%201991&st= cse

Rudder, keel and the sails are just an assumption how she could have look like. The yacht has been built in a hat in the middle of wineyards close to the land-locked town Maribor / Slovenia. When the situation became critical, the boat was transported to Venice in Italy. 18 months later she was found still jacked up in the courtyard in Venice,filled with tons of rainwater, but not damaged. Further faith not known. The famous measurer Ken McAlpine told once a magazine, that even he has visited this crazy construction site On December 1, 1991 Barbara Lloyd of the NEW YORK TIMES wrote a long article about the faith of Slo-4, an ambitious project of some Croatian and Slovenian sailors to challenge the AC. It failed at the end because of the lack of money and time caused by the Yugoslavian Civil War.

Below the link to this fantastic story

SLO-4 the America’s Cupper of mahogany plywood, which never touched the sea, but was filled at the end with tons of rainwater.

AMERICA’S CUP HISTORY 1983 - 2013

For several years the Yacht Club of Maribor has published a website on the SLO-4, containing some photos and an interview with a senior desiger . http://www.yacht-club- skipper.si/Regate__potopisi____/America_s_Cup_in_Slovenci/body_america_s_cup_in_slovenci.html A short translation of my business friend Drazen Servis you will find below.

This is an interview with Neno Kovacevic, shipbuilding engineer. In Spring 1989, in Zgornji Velki, Steiermark, Ljubo Versic and Bojan Butolen founded Transoceansko regatno druätvo Yacoma" with the idea to join AC. In August they took as a partner N. Kovacevic and discussed with him the possibility to build a ship according to the AC rules.ln Autumn 1989 all possible participants had first meeting in premises of International sailing Union IYRU (now ISAF) in London. They agreed that 4 or 5 "syndicates" will have one representative and with Slovenians were Spaniards, French, Germans and Fins. Germans and Fins gave up even before Slovenians. Slovenians had the best cooperation with Japanese and Italian "syndicate". Japanese gave them one of their carbon masts for symbolic price of USD 1 .With Italians they discussed construction details, especially with famous constructor German Frers and saw Italian ship "II moro di Venezia" Italians at that time had the biggest budget (120 mil USD) and built several ships. Slovenian plan was to build 2 ships: one wooden for crew training and, if everything were OK, it would be used as model for a second made of carbon. First ship was completely built in Zgornji Velki but second one was never finished. As far as other equipment was concerned, everything was ready. earlier mentioned Japanese mast was in States, all deck equipment was bought and sails were agreed with other "syndicates". After Germans gave up, as a potential Sponsor appeared BASF ready to invest quite some money. Problem was that all financial transaction went through Belgrade and at that time political crises already started and that's why ship was transferred to Italy, so money went directly to Italy. Second reason was that they started to cooperate with Mr. Cantoni, owner of Italian shipbuilding Company Vector Marine. lt was just by Chance; they wanted already to give up and went to meeting in Nice to announce that, but on the way they visited Raul Gardini, boss of Italian team. He mentioned that Cantoni is producing 20 m motor boats and wants them to be used äs a judge boats on AC race. So, he wanted to cooperate with one of "syndicate" to be included in AC events. Gardini was not interested and that is how Slovenians sorted their project. So, in September 1991 they moved ship to shipyard near Venice. They covered it with furnir and prepared a lot of equipment. Transport to States was settled and it would be paid by Gardini, what is one more proof about good cooperation between teams. Despite all that they ran out of time and money to finish the ship. At that time organization board calculated that minimal budget is 4,2 mil USD. This figure is nowadays much higher. So, ship remained in the courtyard of Venice Company. Kovacevic saw it year and a half ago. lt is interesting to mention that weight of body (with deck and inside construction) was 2,4 tons and in courtyard was supported on both ends. When Kovacevic saw ship, inside was ca 1 meter of water and this is ca 80 (?) tons. lt would be expected that this load would break a ship, but it didn't.