Please select your home edition
Edition
Pantaenius Sail 2025 AUS Leaderboard

Alinghi Red Bull Racing goes flying in Barcelona

by Alinghi Red Bull Racing 4 Oct 2022 22:15 AEDT
Alinghi Red Bull Racing - Challenger for the America's Cup © Alinghi Red Bull Racing / Olaf Pignataro

The Swiss challenger for the America's Cup has been putting its AC75 training boat BoatZero - bought from Emirates Team New Zealand earlier this year - through its paces in Barcelona.

The learning curve is steep, but the results of the first few days of sailing have been very positive for the team.

After months of preparation, and a short delay following a capsize in a storm on 31 August, the Alinghi Red Bull Racing AC75 training boat has spent the last few days sailing in Barcelona on the waters that will host the 37th America's Cup in 2024.

Seeing BoatZero fly after months of work was an important step for the whole team and marked the starting point for the Sailing Team's work on the water. The sailors are learning to manage and handle the AC75 with the aim of being successful by 2024. This is a key period as it allows Alinghi Red Bull Racing to train in the same conditions as those expected for the Cup races.

While the sailors are now able to fly BoatZero on its foils in a straight line, they still have a lot to learn to fully master it. This - like the supreme effort made by the Shore Team to get BoatZero sailing - will be a team effort. Getting to this point has required patience and dedication to moving forward systematically, step by step, and the emotion was palpable during the first outing - ashore, on the chase boats and onboard the AC75.

"It was a mixture of nervousness and adrenaline as we cast off," said Arnaud Psarofaghis, a member of the Driving Group, earlier this month. "Since that first training session the team has progressed at every level."

"We are learning to work within the dynamic of a big team," said Pierre-Yves Jorand, co-general manager head of sports operations. "The protocol for launching and hauling out the boat at the beginning and end of each day is smoother, and we are shaping the sports operation to include the sailing."

Although the Swiss sailors are new to the AC75, they are drawing on the experience of two Sailing Team advisors: Dean Barker, a helmsman during the last America's Cup, and Pietro Sibello, a trimmer. Both are bringing their huge experience to bear for the Swiss challenger.

During each outing BoatZero is closely monitored by the designers, the Support Team, and the Shore Team members on board the chase boats. "It's very interesting for the designers to see the boat fly," said Marcelino Botin, principal designer. "Despite the data and videos collected at the end of each day, there is no substitute for what we can observe with our own eyes."

The team will continue to sail the AC75 as much as possible in Barcelona, notching up a maximum number of hours on the water. Meanwhile, some of the sailors will fly to Scarlino in Italy this week for the final leg of the 2022 TF35 Trophy, which Alinghi Red Bull Racing has already won with one event to go.

Quotes

Bryan Mettraux, driving group: "Since last week, we are mastering the boat better. We're not using it to its full potential yet, but we're sailing increasingly smoother, and with all the systems working on board. We were of course looking forward to getting out on the water, but the preparation time was necessary; these are very complicated boats. We are now starting to draw on the power of the boat, and it is an incredible feeling. I am lucky to be handling the flight control, it's an extraordinary role, very special and powerful. I feel a lot of adrenaline, pride, but mostly gratitude to all those that have worked so hard to get us sailing. There is still a lot to do, but I realise how lucky we are to be working with such a team to count on!"

Pierre-Yves Jorand, co-general manager head of sports operations: "We are coming out of a transition period, where the boat is going from the yard to the sailors. It's a big step! We are discovering the machine, gaining confidence, and learning to work as part of a large team. In the life of a sailor, as in a Formula 1 team, the number of hours on the circuit or on the water is minimal compared to the rest of the work. What goes on behind the scenes is enormous. The team has shown tremendous commitment since the capsize to get the boat back on the water as quickly as possible. I've been watching the team closely, and I see them getting stronger and more united every day. This is what will enable us to progress towards 2024. The challenge is great: the America's Cup is the Everest of sailing, and we have not yet reached base camp."

Marcelino Botin, principal designer: "It's great to see the sailing team able to sail the boat efficiently after only a few days. The biggest challenge for a team that doesn't know the boat is to be able to sail it reliably. This gives us confidence for all the learning we have to do before making crucial decisions for the design of BoatOne. With every outing, we learn an enormous amount about how to set the boat up. From the chase boats, we are in constant contact with the sailors onboard and can test the required developments in real time."

Florian Trüb, power group: "At the moment, the power group only provides the energy to trim the headsail, but eventually, we will provide all the power needed to sail the boat. The effort will be much greater for the four members of the Power Group, and we're training hard physically to be ready for that day supported by our fitness coach Alex Hopson and our physiotherapist Matt Tinsley. In the meantime, we have experienced the amazing feeling of the boat rising onto the foils. It's incredible, and it feels great to be out on the water after months of preparation."

Related Articles

America's Cup: Controversial agreement signed
According to Italian media, the secret AC Partnership agreement has been signed by CoR/D* International sailing journalist, Fabio Pozo, writing for the Milan based newspaper La Stampa, reports that the secret America's Cup Partnership (ACP) agreement is expected to be signed next week. Posted on 21 Sep
America's Cup: Vision for the Naples unveiled
Emirates Team NZ and Sport e Salute unveiled the vision for the America's Cup in Naples in 2027. Emirates Team NZ and Sport e Salute, the publicly-owned Italian company responsible for promoting sports and a healthy lifestyle across the nation, unveiled the vision for the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples in 2027. Posted on 20 Sep
Womens America's Cup opportunities expand
the pathway for female athletes has never been stronger than in the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup 2024 and the inaugural Puig Women's America's Cup was announced following the publication of the Protocol for the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup in Barcelona. It was a moment not only for women's sport and equality but showed that the America's Cup was Posted on 19 Sep
America's Cup: The Elephant(s) in the Room
Some shafts of light have been shed on the negotiation positions of the Challengers and Defender. With nearly 250 pages of America's Cup regulations released, it's clear both the Challenger and Defender have ben forced to take a pragmatic stance on the Naples Cup. Some shafts of light have been shed on the positions of the Challengers and Defender. Posted on 18 Sep
America's Cup: Luna Rossa's Challenge accepted
According to local media the Italian team, Luna Rossa has had its Challenge accepted by the Kiwis. Leading America's Cup journalist, Fabio Pozzo, reports that the Italian team, Luna Rossa has had its Challenge accepted for the 2027 Cup in Naples. Posted on 12 Sep
America's Cup: ETNZ's design boss on new AC75 Rule
Kiwi design chief, Dan Bernasconi on recycled AC75 hulls, electric power and other rule changes. Kiwi design chief, Dan Bernasconi on the use of recycled AC75 hulls, the switch to full electric power, and other changes. He claims there is plenty of performance gain left in the AC75 for the designer teams. Posted on 12 Sep
America's Cup: Class Rule and Tech Regs out
The America's Cup Class Rule and Technical Regulations for the Naples Match have been published With the clock ticking down to the start of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples in 2027, the AC75 Class Rules and Technical Regulations have been issued to all teams and published with a focus on cost containment. Posted on 11 Sep
America's Cup: Running silent and deep, again.
A look at the flotsam that has surfaced as the Cup teams again go into deep and silent negotiation. A look at the state of the Cup - given the three weeks of silence since the hasty final Protocol signing. Previously a long deep dive by the teams has indicated that a lot of negotiation is underway. Here's what we've seen floating on the surface. Posted on 10 Sep
From The Other Side - The State of the Sport
The editors of Sail-World New Zealand and Inside Great Lakes Sailing discuss the state of sailing. The Editors of Inside Great Lakes Sailing and Sail-World New Zealand got together last week to shoot the breeze in an unscripted video discussion, without any pre-arranged "talking points" about various aspects of the sport. Posted on 5 Sep
Youth America's Cup set to continue in Naples
The Youth America's Cup is a sign-post to the future direction of the America's Cup itself. Since its inaugural event in 2013, the Youth America's Cup, designed as a competition for sailors under the age of 25, has always been the most remarkable sign-post to the future direction of the America's Cup itself. Posted on 4 Sep
MarkSetBotNavico AUS Zeus3S FOOTERMaritimo M75