GC32

The close of the 2017 season

29 November, 2017

With one day to go before the start of Act 8, the final leg of the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series, the eight teams were honing their preparation under the Mexican sun in Los Cabos, which lies on the Pacific side of the southern tip of Baja California.  Alinghi sits in third place overall, six points behind SAP and one behind Oman Air. Mathematically, therefore, the championship is still in play for the Swiss, especially as there are double points awarded for this last Act. To repeat their 2016 victory, Alinghi will need to finish ahead of SAP by two clear places and also finish above Oman Air. It will, of course, be a tough ask, as the Danes are very much the team to beat at the moment, having won the last two events. However, given a weather forecast of light conditions, nothing is taken for granted and the whole team is more than ready to take-up the challenge. To follow the races, which will be held from Thursday to Sunday from 2-5pm local time (UTC-7, 8 hours less than in Switzerland), there are several options: Live > via our website (races modeled in 3D on Thursday & Friday, then broadcast live on Saturday and Sunday) > On Twitter @alinghiteam (results published after each race with a few photos and short video clips) Watch on demand > On Facebook and Instagram for video interviews and photos > On our website for the daily recap and the replay of the races Live scoring as the races progress will be available here.   Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need here. Video #BehindTheScenes…What happens every morning in and around the boat? To watch João’s interview, which took place in and even under the water :-), click here. Photos credit ©Alinghi

Successful day but SAP pocket Act 7

23 October, 2017

The team fought and fought well on the last afternoon of racing in California, winning three of the six races launched in San Diego Bay. Alinghi thus had the best day of it and managed to gain four points on the leaders, SAP Extreme Sailing Team; unfortunately not enough to close the gap opened-up by the Danes on Day 3. It is therefore in 2nd place that the Swiss finished Act 7. Red Bull Sailing Team took third place on the podium, with Oman Air finishing in fourth. Nicolas Charbonnier, tactician, said: "San Diego gave us great sailing conditions throughout these four days of racing and we really enjoyed ourselves. However, we didn't quite manage to overcome SAP and so congratulations to them for their performance this week. We are disappointed with our third day of racing because we think we could have done better. We learned some lessons and today we sailed well. "It's up to us to come back stronger for the last act of the season in Los Cabos in a month. Mathematically, first place in the championship is still achievable. It would require that we win the event and SAP finishes 4th...In other words, if they sail as well as they have recently, it will be difficult. But in sailing, everything is always open and we'll see!" Click here to watch the interview with Nicolas in its entirety. See you in five weeks for the conclusion of the 2017 Extreme Sailing Series season in Los Cabos (Mexico) from November 30th to December 3rd. Click here for the final standings of Act 7 in San Diego after 25 races. Click here for the overall ESS table after seven Acts. Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Photos credit ©Lloyd Images If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need here.

San Diego:Beautiful but challenging water

22 October, 2017

Today was not one that could have been described as an opportunity missed, since of the seven races launched, Alinghi scored almost the same number of points as its rivals Oman Air and Red Bull. However, that does not take into account the performance of SAP Extreme Sailing Team, who shone today, just as Alinghi did on the opening day of the regatta. The good news is that Alinghi knows it can perform on a similar level. The less good news is that the Danes have sailed so well that they’ve opened up a lead of 14 points. On Alinghi’s side, it has 17 on Oman Air, in third. Those point gaps would suggest that the team is comfortably installed in second place, but the team has promised to try everything tomorrow to climb into first place. Moreover, it seems that a little less wind is forecast…a little like the conditions on the first day in San Diego, which seemed to suit Alinghi. Yves Detrey, bowman said: “Windy and sunny, San Diego Bay is truly a beautiful place to race. For us, it was a bit complicated today. We did not really manage to lay the foundations of our strategy and we lost a few points in the battle. The task – to challenge SAP for first place – looks hard tomorrow, but we will fight to the end.” Click here to see Yves's interview in its entirety and to find out what an "OCS" is. The action will resume tomorrow at 2pm local time (UTC-7 = 9 hours behind Swiss time), which you can follow live or on demand by clicking here. Find the overall standings in San Diego here. Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Photos credit ©Lloyd Images If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need here.

A day of sport on foils

21 October, 2017

At the end of a session like today's, sailors return to the dock somewhat tired after six intense races. But what a pleasure to see these boats performing at full speed once up on their foils. To sail in such conditions, you have to be precise and coordinated. Every mistake, no matter how small, is immediately punished. Tim Lapauw, trimmer and foil regulator said: "It was a good day for us. SAP is close behind us but we are still ahead, that's what counts in the end. After they, we signed for the second best performance of the day. The wind was blowing between 11 and 16 knots, often irregular in direction, which gave a hard time to Nicolas, our tactician. We are just a little disappointed with our last race of the day because before this one, we were five points ahead of second place. But a bad maneuver made us lose some points." Click here to watch Tim’s interview in its entirety. Halfway through the event, Alinghi is ahead of the Danes of SAP Extreme Sailing Team (our direct competitors for the championship win). The English of Land Rover BAR Academy made a strong impression yesterday, but seemed less comfortable in the later conditions and lie 4th tonight. Oman Air took the opportunity to grab the provisional 3rd place. The action will resume tomorrow at 2pm local time (UTC-7 = 9 hours behind Swiss time), which you can follow live or on demand by clicking here. Find the overall standings in San Diego here. Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Photos credit ©Lloyd Images If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need here.  

Promising beginnings

20 October, 2017

What better way to start a regatta than by leading the fleet after six races and the first day of competition? Yesterday afternoon in the San Diego bay, Alinghi were consistently among the leaders, despite the challenges posed by the unique current, wind variations and even algae. From the outside, the red-white-black GC32 catamaran looked fast, at ease and quicker to get on its foils than its opponents. On the inside, Nils Frei, the team’s headsail trimmer, confirmed the impression: “It was a very positive day for us. We were pretty quick and as the races were long – longer than normal – it meant we could get back into the race even if we’d made an OCS (over the starting line early), as happened twice, and had to let all the other teams pass us. The other teams sailed really well too, like the Land Rover BAR Academy guys, with whom we were tied after five races. Throughout the day, but especially on the last run where the wind dropped at the end, we knew we had to be patient in every moment. That’s probably where we made a difference.” Click here to watch Nils’s interview in its entirety. Nothing is settled, as there are still three more days of racing to go and only a few points separating the leaders, with all of the teams very solid and very eager to win, and very ready to fight right up until the last. But, after all, what Alinghi achieved on the first day is firmly in the locker. The action will resume tomorrow at 2pm local time (UTC-7 = 9 hours behind Swiss time), which you can follow live or on demand by clicking here. Find the overall standings in San Diego here. Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Photos credit ©Lloyd Images If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need here.

On Your Marks; Set; Go for Act 7

19 October, 2017

It is in San Diego, along Harbor Island Drive, that the Extreme Sailing Series caravan has rolled into this week to take up its quarters for Act 7 of the season. From Thursday 19th October until the 22nd, eight international teams will compete under the Californian sun for the spoils in a breeze that, typically, starts off light and then has a tendency to strengthen in the afternoon, hopefully allowing the GC32s to race onto their foils, which will be a spectacle for the fans and a lot of fun for the sailors. Alinghi is now in third place overall behind SAP Extreme Sailing Team and Oman Air. Alinghi's goal is clear: To win the penultimate stage of the circuit, thereby maximising its chances of winning the Championship in the last event, which will be held in early December in Los Cabos, Mexico. To follow the races, which will be held every day from 2-5pm local time (UTC-7, 9 hours less than in Switzerland), there are several options: Live > via our website (races modeled in 3D on Thursday & Friday, then broadcast live on Saturday and Sunday) > On Twitter @alinghiteam (results published after each race with a few photos and short video clips)   Watch on demand > On Facebook and Instagram for video interviews and photos > On our website for the daily recap and the replay of the races Live scoring as the races progress will be available here.   Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo  //  #Extremesailing   To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Photos credit ©Alinghi If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need here. Video bonus! Have you ever gone up to the top of a GC32? To see the interview of João at 17m altitude, it is here!

Alinghi back on the podium in ESS

28 August, 2017

Confidence returned to the team in Cardiff with Alinghi very much in the running, neck-and-neck with SAP until the last race. The Danes win this time but the Swiss remain convinced that they can have the last word ...   SAP and Alinghi were the main players all afternoon and made the suspense last.   Tim Lapauw, foil trimmer, said: "At the start of the first round we were four points behind SAP. We first lost one on them, then gained two, then lost three."   Fortunately the wind held and allowed racing to continue. The day's fourth race arrived: Alinghi wins, SAP finishes next-to-last. The gap between the two boats is just one point.   Tim continues: "After the fifth race of the day, we managed to be at the top of the provisional ranking, tied with SAP! The President of the race committee announced that the next race would be the last. Oman Air, 3rd, is nine points behind and therefore posing little menace."   And so, again, the winner of the Act would be decided in the last of the four day's faces, a shoot-out to decide who finishes in front of the other.   Nils Frei, headsail trimmer: "In this last race, the situation on the start was badly assessed by us. Due to a big wind shift to the right, we remained stuck windward side of the committee, with SAP escaping. In spite of that, we are happy with the way we sailed. We made some mistakes, but on the whole we were strong, both in speed, in manoeuvers and on starts, so it's very positive.   Pierre-Yves Jorand, Team Director:  "I found in the team a combative and warlike attitude. We fought for each metre because it is important to stay in touch to place an attack and then to be able to pass a boat. In my opinion, this is our best ESS event since China with a regatta that was competitive until the last run, as so often is the case in the Extreme Sailing Series. "   Click here to watch the interviews of Tim, Nils and Pierre-Yves (in French) in their entirety.   Fans of the ESS will require patience, because the competition now breaks until October 19 for Act 7, which will take place in San Diego. However, Alinghi will be back on track next weekend for the D35 Trophy’s continuation on Lake Geneva! Click here for the overall standings from Act 6 Click here for the overall standings of the Championship To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo // #Extremesailing If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need by following this link. Photos credit ©Lloyd Images

Waiting for the wind...

27 August, 2017

While waiting for the wind, we can: Go over the last few days and look at our performance Continue to prepare and improve the fine tuning the boat Hope for the wind to build up Respond to journalists' questions Take a nap - sorry, refocus by closing our eyes Continue to hope that the wind will build up Run exhibition races to entertain thousands of spectators on Cardiff Bay Turn to liquid in a neoprene suit Hand over the tiller to the 6th man (the guest aboard the boat during a race) And welcome, which comes as something of a blessing, the race committee's permission to return to dock because of the lack of wind in which there is simply no possibility of racing. And so, finally and in conclusion, teams actually do almost as much on a day like today as they would do on a day full of races, excepting, of course, the fact that the scoreboard does not vary by one iota at the end of the day! So now we cross our fingers, hoping to be able to return to racing tomorrow at 2pm (local time) for the final day of this Act 6, which you can also follow live (live video and 3D graphics) by clicking here. Click here for the unchanged overall standings after 8 races.   To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo // #Extremesailing If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need by following this link. Photos credit ©Lloyd Images

At the right tempo

26 August, 2017

Six races were run today in Cardiff Bay, with a tricky wind in both strength and direction, but one that made it possible to get up to nice speed and finally, get up on to the foils. What about the ranking? Alinghi won two races, SAP Extreme Sailing Team the same. Alinghi recorded a third place, two fourth places, but then so did SAP! As it stands yet, SAP lies just four small points ahead at the half-way stage in Wales. The difference between the two? Knots in the gennaker sheet around the winch which caused trouble for the Swiss during a tack on race 5, causing them to finish in the last position. At this level, every detail counts. However, two days remain to build upon a good start and close a small points gap. Nicolas Charbonnier, tactician: "We had some really good races, we had some others when we struggled a little bit more, but we are still in the game and I feel like we are sailing well, the team is working well together, we are happy to sail together in Cardiff so it's a good day. Regarding the big lead in the two races won today, he said: "We had a really good start with a good strategy and then when you are sailing ahead of the other guys, it makes a lot of things easier, but we will have to do even better to come back in the next races." Click here to watch the interview with Nicolas in its entirety.   See you tomorrow from 3pm (local time) for the continuation of this competition, which you can also follow live (video & 3D graphics) by clicking here. Click here for overall standings after 8 races.   To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo // #Extremesailing If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need by following this link. Photos credit ©Lloyd Images

Two runs and a positive opening balance to Act 6

25 August, 2017

Cardiff Bay (Wales) welcomes the fleet of the Extreme Sailing Series for the 6th year in a row. With a rather ordinary windy race area (as was the case during the two days of training), the wind speed didn’t exceed six knots all day and among the four races launched, only two were officially counted. Yves Detrey, Bowman, said: "It went pretty well today. After only two rounds that were validated, it is a bit early to make a balance sheet, but both races were good, with two second finishes. We made a very good start in one of them. In the other one, we made the right moves. As we had a good speed, we were able to get out of a bad position and out of the pack because after the start, we must admit that we were not that great. Now three days remain, with conditions that are expected to be light and difficult." Click here to watch Yves’ interview in its entirety.   See you tomorrow at 2pm (local time) for the second day of this Act 6, which you can also follow live with the 3D graphics by clicking here. Click here for overall standings after 2 races.   To find out more www.extremesailingseries.com Hashtags for the event #GoAlinghiGo // #Extremesailing If you want to know more about how to follow the racing, about Alinghi's team, or just about this regatta in general, you will find all that you need by following this link. Photos credit ©Lloyd Images