Andoo Team Australia hit the waters off Barcelona for some America’s Cup AC40 yacht training time this week and an opportunity to utilise all the knowledge gained from hundreds of hours in the Sydney based simulator and translate to the reality of the Barcelona race course.
With the countdown now just one month away for the Unicredit Youth regatta to start on September 17, followed by the Puig Women’s regatta on October 5th, the chance to access the racing yacht was vital.
“We came well prepared with technical knowledge, but nothing prepares you for the exhilarating speeds and real time reaction pace on these thrilling craft,” said Women’s Squad helm Olivia Price.
Youth squad member Max Paul summed up the first contact: “It’s a bit of a shock when you first get on the boat and are doing 35 knots in the first two minutes jumping on – that’s a bit exciting and a bit nerve wracking, it’s a bigger difference than I thought after a year and half in the simulator.”
After the first couple of days the team have gained some important new insights and are extremely grateful for all the Australian support that has got them on water earlier than the race training window.
“Now we’ve settled in, it’s been a pretty cool experience - we definitely can do it and all the skills we’ve developed in the simulator have been really valuable,” Paul said.
Every aspect of the yacht, sailing techniques, performance, vision lines and more are being recorded and briefed in detail among the squad as they rotate through allocated time in the craft and watch from on water to absorb all they can in this tight window of opportunity.
Squad member Tom Needham said the week had thrown some varying weather which was great for experiencing the variety of conditions that racing in Barcelona might encounter.
“We started with wavy and windy conditions that were more difficult to manage then followed a nice 7-10 knot day which created other challenges.
“As the breeze drops it is harder to keep the boat foiling which was really good for the team to practice and we even had a go at some slingshots – a tow up on the foil where you work to stay up as long as you can in a light breeze,” Needham said.
The squad undertook their water safety training at the start of the week and have had access to Port Olimpic where the Australian base camp will be, getting familiar with America’s Cup precinct in the hot summer conditions.
Coaches and sailors have put in a busy four days so far for the opportunity and will all return to Sydney next week to finalise their approach to the campaign for the newest trophies in the world’s oldest sporting competition.
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia will host a free entry final farewell and fundraiser at the club on August 30 ahead of the Youth departure followed a few days later by the women to set-up base in Barcelona.
Supporter packages for spectating and hospitality with the Andoo Australia Team are now available on the website for people heading to watch the racing live. You can also sing-up for news updates. Fox Sports will be broadcasting the entire America’s Cup series including the Youth and Women’s regattas in Australia