Alinghi Red Bull Racing Faces Difficulty on Day 1 of Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals
by Alinghi Red Bull Racing 14 Sep 10:48 PDT
14 September 2024
Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s BoatOne and INEOS Britannia compete in Day 1 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals in Barcelona, Spain on September 14 © Alinghi Red Bull Racing / Samo Vidic
Alinghi Red Bull Racing had a challenging first day in the Semi-Finals, suffering two defeats against INEOS Britannia, the top-ranked challenger from the previous round.
As competition intensifies and each mistake could be crucial, the Swiss team feels the urgency to begin scoring points.
The opening day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals featured light and shifting winds on the racecourse, pushing teams to deliver their utmost performance. In the first race, the Swiss team started strong but soon lost their lead as the British team found more wind and surged ahead. The second race proved even tougher, with light winds and two penalties before the start forcing the Swiss team to chase from behind, a position they couldn’t recover from. Although there’s still time, Alinghi Red Bull Racing faces a difficult challenge ahead. They must move past today’s results and begin fresh tomorrow.
Maxime Bachelin, Helmsman: “I’m feeling frustrated. This isn’t the start we desired in the Semi-Finals. Losing the first two races is quite disappointing. We encountered some challenges. Sometimes, things just don’t work out in your favor. We need to reset for tomorrow and find the best way to get the boat moving quickly. It’s not over yet; many points are still available before the finals, and we’ll strive for those.”
Paul Jacquot, Cyclor: “Today, we will assess what occurred on the water and devise a plan for tomorrow. We’ve overcome tough situations before, and we can do it again. ‘One down, focus on the next’ is our mindset because there’s no point in dwelling on past mistakes.”
