ALINGHI RED BULL RACING- LOUIS VUITTON CUP
The team that lit up Barcelona in more ways than one and staged a dynamic, forward-looking challenge for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, exits at the semi-final stage of the Louis Vuitton Cup with lessons learned and a laser-focus on continuity. It has been a pleasure for Cup fans around the world to watch this young Swiss team develop into a potent force at the highest level of sailing and, with a winning pedigree, they leave the competition with a sense that this is far from over and that there is unfinished business to be done in the America’s Cup.
From the very start, this challenge for the oldest trophy in international sport was determined to do things their way and with fun all along the way. Launching the challenge on behalf of the Société Nautique de Genève, the club that became the first ever European winner and held the America’s Cup trophy from 2003 to 2010, a deep, fully-integrated partnership with Red Bull was announced.
Team Principle and Founder of the famous ‘Alinghi’ sailing team, Ernesto Bertarelli set out a clear vision, saying at the launch: “While keeping the winning spirit that has always animated Alinghi, we want for this challenge to do something totally different, totally new, totally fresh. When we imagined with (the late) 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.’ He also proposed that we should make contributions to give the America’s Cup itself a new dimension. With Red Bull we are equal partners in this venture. They will bring their competence, energy and strength in creating performing teams, and we bring our experience in sailing and winning the America’s Cup. Alinghi Red Bull Racing will shine a new light on the event.”
And shine a light they did. Immediately the team purchased the very first-generation Emirates Team New Zealand AC75 ‘Te Aihe’ and set-up a temporary base at the mouth of the Port Vell in Barcelona – the first team to arrive in the host city. Their effect was immediate, and they became a wonderful advert, as a team, as a ‘family’, for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.
They lit up the W-Hotel in red every evening before they sailed the next day and integrated with every facet of Barcelona life, whilst actively documenting their steep learning curve in the monohull foiling AC75 that they commissioned in August 2022 and first sailed in September 2022.
