Just 11 years ago, back in 2013, Peter Burling, Blair Tuke and Andy Maloney, key afterguard members today of the Defenders of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, won the Youth America’s Cup and are prime examples of just what this competition can deliver. In Barcelona, twelve teams will vie for the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup and will have to excel at both fleet racing and match-racing to succeed.
The format sees the twelve teams split into two groups of six for an initial fleet race series. The sailors representing the official America’s Cup teams will race in one group whilst Invited Teams from Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, and Sweden will race in a second fleet.
The top three teams from each side after eight races will race together in four fleet races to decide the top-two crews and from there it’s a one-race, winner-takes-all, conducted in the glare of the world’s media spotlight on Thursday September 26. That final race will take place in-between races on the first day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Final, providing the perfect showcase for the world’s best up-and-coming sailors to shine.
At the Press Conference today there was an understandable air of nervous tension, but all twelve sailors gave a superb account of themselves, many of them at their very first time in front of the media in this format. Youthful excitement abounded under the lights and cameras with none of them fazed by the limelight.
One of the favourites for overall victory are the Italian Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team whose skipper, Marco Gradoni, was port helm for the senior team when they competed in the second Preliminary Regatta in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, finishing runners-up behind Emirates Team New Zealand after a thrilling final race. Gradoni spoke about that, saying:
“It was a really amazing experience to be in Jeddah with the Luna Rossa Team, now here with the Youth team, all new guys. The past is the past and I really want to focus on the present and I think we have a great team, really nice sailors and also the women’s team is supporting us a lot. We just have to keep focused, we learned a lot and we push a lot ourselves to be here and prepared, so we just want to go out sailing and do our best.
“I think the racing is completely different from training so everybody among us is going to push more and it’s amazing because if we have a lot of breeze it’s going to be really tight at the start and the mark roundings. We are prepared for this, and we just want to go out and put our skills on the water.”
Maru Scheel, the only female athlete and skipper on the stage, representing AC Team Germany was excited by the challenge before her, saying: “Sailing is a big sport in Germany and [it’s exciting] being here and sailing these beautiful yachts and hopefully making the first steps into America’s Cup sailing and perhaps building a full America’s Cup team in the future. Being part of that whole scenario is super great and super cool.” Asked if she would take on a helming role on such a future full German America’s Cup campaign, Scheel replied with a smile: “Hopefully, yes – I am keen to do it.”
Leo Takahashi, the fast-rising star of New Zealand sailing, spoke eloquently about the opportunity saying: “It’s a real honour, Emirates Team New Zealand is a household name back home, so it’s been really cool for the team and I to actually be involved in the operations and how everything works. These boats are awesome, and I think everyone here can agree that we’ve had a really good time on the yacht and the simulator has been a really good stepping stone. Full credit to the ACE team and Emirates Team New Zealand for bringing these boats to us and actually making a stepping stone for us to be able to showcase our talents.”
Martin Wizner, skipper of the local team and firm fan favourite here in Barcelona, SailTeam BCN, commented: “It’s an honour to be here in Spain and competing in these cool boats. The main goal is to try and be an AC team in the next Cup, this is the pathway and I’m looking forward to this week.”
Nick Robins, representing the Athena Pathway programme of Great Britain spoke about the expected competitive series saying: “It was great to watch the Youth America’s Cup last time around. I wasn’t involved but it was great to see it come to Britain. But that was a long time ago and the boats are very different now and so it’s really a complete reset. We have had a strong summer of training down in Badalona and it’s great to have had some time learning this boat and this type of racing, but I think there are a lot of other teams that have managed to do the same thing and the people we have here are very strong – so I think it is going to be a good fight.”
Cole Tapper, the brilliant young Australian match-racer and skipper of Andoo Team Australia offered an insight into the team’s training saying: “We have spent a lot of time in the simulator – hundreds and hundreds of hours – and I would say the key thing we learned is how to find the problem when the boat goes out of balance. These boats are a balancing act, you are leaning on two points in the water, and everything has to be lined up for you to feel locked in. We learned on the simulator where to look, at the screens – at the environment, not so much – to troubleshoot those problems. When you get on the boat the sensation is very different. When you are flying above the waves and you have got 80 kilometres of wind and spray – that changes everything. But where you look to find the problem when you are out of balance is the same.”
Harry Melges IV, from the NYYC American Magic team and very much a rising figurehead for high-performance foiling, spoke about the lasting positive impact of the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup and the rise of foiling as an exciting discipline in the sport saying: “What first attracted me to sailing was the speed of the boat and sailing fast, fun boats. I think the foiling generation is going to speak to a lot more young sailors and get them really excited about going sailing – which I think is only going to be a positive.”
The stage is set for a thrilling UniCredit Youth America’s Cup and the glittering trophy, depicting a bowline, sat proudly centre stage amongst all twelve skippers. Whoever gets their hands on it will write their name in history and the first chapter on their road to the America’s Cup.
The future is here now and it’s an exciting time for the sport of sailing at its pinnacle.
