«Alinghi» already sails in Barcelona

Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s training boat has sailed off Barcelona for the first time in recent weeks. After months of preparation, the Swiss were finally able to sail the AC75. After capsizing due to a violent storm on August 31, the union has resumed training at the regatta course that will host the 37th America’s Cup.

This important step allowed the entire team to see the ship sail after months of work. It also marked the starting point of the crew’s work on the water: the sailors are learning to manage and navigate the AC75 to achieve good performance in the next two years. This is a key period, as it allows Alinghi Red Bull Racing to train in the same conditions as the 2024 America’s Cup regattas.

Although the crews already manage to lift the “BoatZero” on its foils in a straight line, they still have a lot to learn to fully master it. This is a whole team effort, as well as the ground team, who have done an extraordinary job in the last few weeks to get the “BoatZero” sailing.

Before reaching this moment of navigating with controlled flight, each step had to be respected with patience. On the first outing, both on land, on the follow-on boats and on board the AC75, the excitement was palpable. “It was a mixture of nervousness and adrenaline when we let go” said Arnaud Psarofaghis, a member of the driving group, in early September. Since that first training session, the team has progressed at all levels. “We are learning to work in the dynamics of a great team. The protocol for putting the boat into the water in the afternoon is more established, and we are learning the details of sports operations that include navigation on the water” added Pierre-Yves Jorand, co-general manager head of sports operations.

Although all the Swiss sailors are new to the AC75, they have the two crew advisers on board. Dean Barker and Pietro Sibello held different roles in the previous edition of the Cup, as helmsman and sail trimmer respectively, so their experience is valuable.

During each outing, “BoatZero” is closely supervised by the designers, support team and shore team members aboard the escort boats. “For us designers, it’s very interesting to see how the ship flies,” said Marcelino Botín, main designer. “Despite the data and videos collected at the end of the day, there is no substitute for what we can see with our own eyes.”

The team will continue sailing as much as possible in Barcelona over the next few days, in order to add as many hours as possible on board the AC75. In parallel, some of the sailors travel to Scarlino (Italy) this week to compete in the last event of the 2022 TF35 Trophy, which Alinghi Red Bull Racing has already won before competing in this final regatta.