Text: Vincent Gillioz
Alinghi Red Bull Racing christened BoatOne on Tuesday in Barcelona. The brand-new AC75, built in Ecublens, is due to take her first tacks later this week.
“I christen this yacht. May her journey be fast and successful. God bless her and all that sail on her” were the words spoken by BoatOne godmother Chiara Bertarelli as she broke the traditional bottle of champagne on the bow. The ceremony was hosted by Castellers, Catalan artists who create a human tower to symbolize their collective work. The ceremony represented a culmination for all those involved in this ambitious project. The boat returned to its element to the sound of the team’s favorite song, “Cant’ Stop” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
This is a very special moment, marking the start of a new phase,” says Adolfo Carrau, Design Coordinator. The skills of the various team members have contributed to the creation of this boat. It’s the first boat we’ve designed and built together. Now we’ll be able to start testing on the water and sailing.
An eagerly awaited team
The third boat in the “Cup” to enter its element – after Emirates Team New Zealand on April 12, and Luna Rossa on April 13 – BoatOne boasts a sober, racy look. “I think her lines are a little more aggressive than the others,” says Lucien Cujean, looking forward to the first races. “The last few weeks have been pretty busy and intense. Now that the boat is in the water, we’re going to pick up a new rhythm, dictated mainly by sailing and optimizing the boat. The ship is extreme in its lines and has nothing to do with the BoatZero, which was a first-generation boat. The leap is substantial. We have to set up our processes, work step by step,” he adds.
Yves Detrey, who is taking part in his fifth America’s Cup campaign, is also delighted to finally see BoatOne in its element. “It’s an important moment, the culmination of two years’ work. We’ve spent hours on the simulator, the AC40 and BoatZero, which wasn’t an easy boat. Now, we’re going to devote ourselves entirely to optimizing this new boat and working on getting the most out of her. As a sailor, this is the stage of the project that interests me most.”
Decisive phase
BoatOne will be sailing for the first time this week. She is already equipped with the latest generation foils, which is not the case for the two other AC75s unveiled. They sailed with the foils from the last cut they had. “The hours they spend on the water allow us to train the team and validate a certain number of things. But I don’t think they’re interesting for data analysis,” says Yves Courvoisier, mathematician and R&D engineer. By sailing with the current foils, we’re getting straight to the heart of the matter, and the data we’re going to collect will be very useful for further development.
For the entire Alinghi Red Bull Racing team, it’s now a question of optimizing the months remaining before the first confrontations at the end of the summer. The ultimate Preliminary Regatta, to be held from August 22 to 25, will be the first opportunity for all the AC75s to sail together and compare notes. An event not to be missed.