ZERO ZERO ON BOATZERO
One quality you can firmly associate with Alinghi Red Bull Racing is persistence, and today (Tuesday) patience was added to the list as the team waited all day for the thermal Garbi breeze to filter in along the Barcelona waterfront and were rewarded with beautiful sailing conditions late in the afternoon.
This was the longest day on the water for the Swiss by far and with Team Principal Ernesto Bertarelli, wearing the coded helmet #00, in town over the last couple of days, it was the opportunity to show the boss just what the buzz that has been building around the team in recent weeks, is all about. He will have left highly approving of how his team is gelling and advancing in this America’s Cup cycle.
Once the breeze came, the sailors were sublime, playing with flight modes, riding high and adjusting pitch to achieve the low bow, windward heel flight that looks so graceful on the AC75. Manoeuvres were tough in the marginal conditions, requiring big commitment to the turn on the tacks and high exits on the gybes to maintain flight but helmsmen Arnaud Psarofaghis and Nicolas Charbonnier appeared more than at ease, guiding and coaxing BoatZero whilst calling for maximum power consistently from the trimmers.
On that note, trim was light, it was a case of sheet on and point at times, keeping as much breeze in the big M1 mainsail and J1 jib as they could muster. The cyclors were at the max though and it’s a credit to the drivetrain design that four cyclors appear to more than match the power output requirements of the AC75. These are valuable days to fine-tune and refine that key system and notable were the custom cycling shoes that the Power Unit are all wearing – think of a cross between trainers and road cycling shoes with boa securing wires – it’s all in the detail.
The immediate Barcelona waterfront was the backdrop for the session and on a sunny day like today you can see why it was such a compelling venue choice for the America’s Cup. Up near the Forum area just past the Port Olimpic proved to hold some of the more consistent breezes and with BoatZero ‘creating’ its own apparent wind, the team could hold flight at pace all the way down the beachfront to the Port Vell area giving the early spring windsurfers and pleasure-boaters a magnificent view of the action.
Alinghi Red Bull Racing clocked an impressive 70 nautical miles today and put in a total of 48 manoeuvres. The team docked in just after 6pm local time ahead of the shore team taking over for a long evening of boat preparation, ready for the next sailing which is now scheduled for Thursday at the earliest after an injury to a team-member whilst in dock on Wednesday morning. An ambulance was called to the base but the injuries are not thought to be serious. We will update when further details emerge.
The Swiss programme continues at pace. Helmet #00 looked happy (we even spotted a shaka at one point), and the positive vibes around the team continue to build. Alinghi Red Bull Racing are the dark horse in this America’s Cup – the ‘dark Bull’ perhaps – as their commitment to the sailing programme intensifies. Over to the design team to deliver a rapid package and it’s game-on come September 2024 and the first races of the Challenger Selection Series.
The vertical learning curve continues. Great to watch.
On-Water Recon Unit Notes: Alinghi Red Bull Racing rolled out their AC75 at 08:30, craned in and prepared the yacht for the day. The M1 mainsail was raised in port and the yacht was towed just off the breakwater, where the jib was hoisted, and sailing commenced at 11:45.
The day started with light winds, with the yacht just barely able to keep on foil. The sea was relatively flat, and the wind did not blow higher than 10 knots. The forecasted breeze did not come through as strong as expected, which left Alinghi Red Bull Racing struggling to achieve consistent flight and complete foiling manoeuvres.
After a few hours of searching for wind and attempting to fly, the yacht was towed North towards the Forum, and by 15:00 the team were able to find a steady breeze to get on foil.
The team stringed together a few sailing stints, managing to squeeze in a couple of fully foiling tacks and gybes, among the 33 tacks/gybes attempted from 15:00 – 17:10.
Ernesto Bertarelli was onboard the AC75 today, Helmet #00, along with Dean Barker, Helmet #06. This was the longest day on the water so far, with a total of six and a half hours spent at sea, covering over 70 Nautical Miles.
Onboard Today
Driving Group: Arnaud Psarofaghis / Nicolas Charbonnier
Flight Control: Bryan Mettraux / Yves Detrey
Power Group: Théry Schir / Florian Trüb / Nicolas Rolaz / Barnabé Delarze / Nils Theuninck
Additional: Pietro Sibello / Dean Barker / Ernesto Bertarelli
Conditions: Garbi - Thermal breeze - 5-6kn S @ 14:00. Conditions too light to foil. Weather AM: 13°c, Mostly Cloudy. Weather PM: 14°c, Intermittent Clouds.
Sails Used:
M1 (M1-1R): 6 hours 10 minutes
J1 (J1-1R): 5 hours 35 minutes
Total Tacks: 34 – 1 foil-to-foil, 15 touch & go, 18 touchdowns.
Total Gybes: 14 – 2 foil-to-foil, 5 touch & go, 7 touchdowns.
Recon Notes:
11:45 – 12:15 Sailing – Mostly Displacement (2 Tacks – Touch Down, 1 Non-Foiling Gybe)
Tow to find wind.
12:40 – 12:55 Sailing (1 Non-Foiling Tack, 1 Non-Foiling Gybe)
13:10 – 13:55 Sailing (2 Tacks – Touch Down, 2 Gybes - Touch Down)
Crew Swap + Batten Out
14:00 – 14:30 Sailing (2 Tacks – Touch Down)
Tow to find wind.
15:00 – 15:30 Sailing (1 Tack - Touch & Go, 4 Tacks – Touch Down, 4 Gybes - Touch & Go, 2 Gybe - Touch Down)
15:50 – 16:20 Sailing (4 Tacks - Touch & Go, 3 Tacks – Touch Down, 2 Gybes - Fully Foiling, 1 Gybe - Touch & Go, 2 Gybe - Touch Down)
16:25 – 16:50 Sailing (1 Tack - Fully Foiling, 4 Tacks - Touch & Go, 4 Tacks – Touch Down)
16:55 – 17:10 Sailing (1 Tack - Touch & Go, 1 Tack – Touch Down, 1 Gybe - Touch Down)
Dock-Out: 1105 Dock-In: 1805