Eleven years after Oracle Racing’s defeat and loss America’s Cup in Valencia 2010 by Oracle Racing, Alinghi is back. “We never actually left the America’s Cup.” This is how Ernesto Bertarelli summed up the return of the Swiss team that will once again bring the colors of the Société Nautique de Geneve and that for this new assault on the Old Mugh has Red Bull as an adventure companion. “While keeping the winning spirit that has always animated Alinghi, we want for this challenge to do something totally different, totally new, totally fresh,” said the founder of Alinghi. When we imagined with Dietrich Mateschitz the involvement of Red Bull in the America’s Cup, he said: Our way is not to get into the sport as sponsors, but to blend into the team, to form a true partnership, to nurture young athletes and turn them into the best in their field”.
With these premises, the Alinghi Red Bull Racing was born and the announcement, expected after a series of indiscretions, made official what had always been in the plans of Ernesto Bertarelli, born in 1965, twice winner of the America’s Cup (“In 2003 it was we who brought the Cup back to Europe and in 2007 we organized an edition with 11 teams in Valencia “) which, after the defeat in 2010, never abandoned the regattas. From the Extreme 40 catamarans, a class that the Alinghi team dominated by winning the circuit from 2008 to 2014, to the D35, to the GC32 world title in 2019, to the TF35 cat foiling project, Team Alinghi has always worked to be ready. “We knew we would be back, and over the years we have created a generation of young sailors. Those who saw us win in 2003 and 2007 are now ready ”.
And to introduce the new team, Ernesto Bertarelli called alongside the Austrian Hans-Peter Steinacher, head of Red Bull Extreme Sailing. Steinacher, two Olympic gold medals in the Tornado catamaran, was (and about the fact on which the two joked) aboard the Extreme 40 Red Bull which in 2014 during the Chinese leg of Qingdao of the Extreme Sailing Series centered, on port tack, Alinghi putting the Swiss cat out of action for a week.
“We welcome Alinghi Red Bull Racing to the World of Red Bull, and our F1 team is looking forward to helping this new member of our family to succeed.
This is the statement (in connection) of an excited and voiceless (“These are the aftermath of the party for the Formula 1 world title won by Max Verstappen”) Christian Horner, team principal of Red Bull Racing, assuring that the team will be provided with everything the support of Red Bull Advanced Technologies which: “Will develop deep synergies with Alinghi Red Bull Racing”. A support from Red Bull Racing, which with Mercedes, second in the 2021 Drivers’ World Championship with Lewis Hamilton, opens up new horizons in the race for the America’s Cup.
But alongside the novelty, the Alinghi Red Bull Racing lines up the certainty of Brad Butterworth, four-time winner of the America’s Cup, including two times with Alinghi who, as he stated, will not be like Bertarelli on board but will contribute his experience.
Coming to other team members, Ernesto Bertarelli introduced the Swiss Arnaud Psarofaghis, helmsman of the 2019 GC32 Alinghi world champion, the young trimmer Bryan Mettraux, the team director Pierre-Yves Jorand and Silvio Arrivabene, at the 36th America’s Cup designer production manager of American Magic, which will lead the “techinical and operations” sector. The team will have its temporary base in Ècublens, near Lausanne, and near the Décision shipyard where the boat was built before moving to the 37th America’s Cup venue. “We would like Auckland to be where we have so many memories, but we are ready for any another location will be chosen “.
Emilio Martinelli
