Alinghi Red Bull Racing Youth team poised for UniCredit Youth America's Cup
by Alinghi Red Bull Racing 16 Sep 2024 08:53 UTC
17-26 September 2024
Alinghi Red Bull Racing Youth Team practice racing ahead of the Unicredit Youth Americas Cup in Barcelona, Spain © Samo Vidic
Alongside the Louis Vuitton Cup in Barcelona, Switzerland's most talented young sailors are gearing up for the UniCredit Youth America's Cup. Following months of preparation, Alinghi Red Bull Racing is aiming for a strong performance over the prestigious sailing event, set to run from 17-26 September.
After months of training camps run from their base in Barcelona, the Alinghi Red Bull Racing Youth squad is now ready and eager to begin racing. Starting from tomorrow, 12 nations will face off in Port Olímpic in the UniCredit Youth America's Cup. Now in its third edition, the event also marks the third time the Swiss team has challenged for the renowned title. Teams will compete on the AC40 foiling boat - which can travel up to 45 knots, or over 80kph - in one-design mode, meaning the racing will all come down to the skill and teamwork of the sailors onboard.
For skipper Jann Schüpbach, 23, representing his country holds special significance. "It's a great honour - and responsibility - to represent Switzerland in the America's Cup. We're the only European nation to have ever won the Cup. Knowing that we've given everything in the preparation is a good feeling going into the racing." Trimmer Marie Mazuay, 19, says the team's early experiences in the fleet racing will be key. "Now the event is here, every hour counts. The learning curve is steep. We're going to be learning and improving every race, every lap."
The Swiss America's Cup team is currently competing in the Louis Vuitton Cup in Barcelona, vying for the world's oldest and most prestigious sailing trophy. With five sailors in its roster having previously competed in the Youth America's Cup, the competition opens doors for aspiring professional sailors, further supported by Alinghi Red Bull Racing's Shore & Tech pathway. "This event is giving the chance for young sailors to sail in the Formula 1 of sailing," says Matías Bühler, Head Coach for the Swiss Youth and Women's teams. "I also think them competing in these boats is inspiring a lot of younger sailors around the world."
With the UniCredit Youth America's Cup kicking off tomorrow, Alinghi Red Bull Racing's Youth Team is ready to challenge for one of the sailing world's most sought-after titles.
Click here to look through the team's full lineup. You can follow the racing in Barcelona or watch the action live on YouTube.
Matías Bühler, Head Coach, Youth and Women's teams: "Normally, in racing, you take the conservative approach—it pays off. But here, it's a very different type of regatta. It's very short, with only eight races in the qualifying stage and not many chances to come back, so it's almost like a one-shot game. We've been analysing previous regattas and simulating a lot of scenarios, and we decided we need to be aggressive from day one. I think we've done the homework to be in a good place in terms of tactics."
Jann Schüpbach, Skipper: "In each group, there will be six boats on the course, and right now we don't really know the level of the other teams. It might be messy at times because it's a new race format for all of us competing. So our goal is really to focus on clean and clear races and not get into fights with other boats."
As the skipper, I try to push the team and make sure that the four of us onboard feel good, and that they can speak up whenever they want to. We've also been doing individual talks together, and that's where I see my role—to keep the team together while helping everyone to individually perform."
Marie Mazuay, Trimmer: "Since the beginning, the Youth and Women's teams have been sailing and training together. From that team spirit, we've really come a long way. We each have our own specialities—something that we bring to the others. We're super open to discussions, and I think that's helped us reach a higher level."