Alinghi Red Bull Racing ready to raise it

Alinghi Red Bull Racing ready to raise it

by Alinghi Red Bull Racing on Sep 12 08:43 PDT

After Alinghi Red Bull Racing reached the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup on Monday, the Swiss team has used the short break between stages to make important changes. The focus remains the same: deliver the performance needed to get ahead of the competition.

On Monday, Alinghi Red Bull Racing advanced to the quarterfinals of the Louis Vuitton Cup. The Swiss Challenger has had a few days to reflect on his first-round performance ahead of Saturday’s competition. Although there were ups and downs in the early weeks of the competition, the team showed steady and tangible improvements throughout the stage. “We were a bit on the back foot in the first Round Robin, but we managed to come back and never stopped believing we could make it,” said skipper Arnaud Psarofaghis, who is confident the team is on the up. “Everybody stayed focused and pushed and we made the cut.”

During this week’s race break, the Swiss team has spent time analyzing performance data, adjusting setups and planning a strategy for the next stage. Equipment reliability is a crucial factor in the high-tech world of the AC75, and so far BoatOne’s reliability has lived up to expectations. Between stages, teams are allowed to make certain changes to their boats to improve their performance. “We’re making some adjustments to the boat that you’ll see the next time it comes out of the shed,” said Psarofaghis. “Every little detail can be worked both above and below the water and even inside the boat.”

As the top team from the previous stage, Ineos Britannia will choose their semifinal opponent tomorrow before Saturday’s competition. Psarofaghis says Alinghi Red Bull Racing is ready for any outcome. “For us it doesn’t really matter. The goal is to go out there, keep improving and win every race to get to the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup.”

The semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup will begin on Saturday 14 September at 14:00 CET, with two races scheduled for each duo.

Silvio Arrivabene, Director:

“The semi-final is a different format, first to win five races, so we face the same team for several days. The advantage is that you get to test yourself against that team in several races. It doesn’t matter who we face – whether it’s British, Italian or American – we are ready for their own performance.”

Arnaud Psarofaghis, skipper:

“Since qualifying we’ve had a good feeling because now we can start the real work. It’s always good to go through one phase, but the next one is more difficult. We have a good idea of ​​what we want to improve on the boat, as well as the way we want to sail it this week we’ve had the chance to do things that we couldn’t during the two Round Robins.

Maxime Bachelin, helmsman:

“Looking at the Round Robin, we saw where we can improve, mainly in terms of boat speed. We’ve been performing a little worse than during practice, so we’re focusing on getting the speed back so we can be competitive against the next opponent.”

Hans-Peter Steinacher, board member:

“As the oldest sporting prize in the world, dating back to 1851, the America’s Cup has a lot of tradition. It’s not only a sporting event, but also a design competition. Right now, we might be the underdogs, which gives us an opportunity to approach the game aggressively and potentially surprise our opponents. We had a tough Round Robin, but we worked through it. We have now spent the last 3 days analyzing all the data and raising the AC75.”