Narrow finish for Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s Women’s team at PUIG Women’s America’s Cup
by Alinghi Red Bull Racing 11 Oct 10:05 PDT
11 October 2024
Alinghi Red Bull Racing Women’s Team competing in the PUIG Women’s America’s Cup Group stage, Race Day 3 in Barcelona, Spain © Alinghi Red Bull Racing / Samo Vidic
Alinghi Red Bull Racing showed strong results during the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup, starting the day near the top of the leaderboard; however, one error and an unfortunate tiebreaker eliminated them from the Final Series. While the outcome is disappointing, the team takes immense pride in their role in this significant moment for women in sailing.
Alinghi Red Bull Racing spent the day anxiously awaiting their turn in the Puig Women’s America’s Cup as light winds postponed the races until the afternoon. The competition was fierce between the Swiss and Kiwi teams, who were separated by only a few points with one last race remaining. The first race attempt was canceled after just one leg, but during the second, the Swiss team had a solid start, leading off the line and rounding the first mark ahead. Unfortunately, a miscalculation at the lower gate caused them to lose their lift, allowing the Kiwis to pass. With Emirates Team New Zealand ultimately taking second place and Alinghi Red Bull Racing finishing last, the resulting tie on points favored the Kiwis. Although the Swiss team is out of the running, they reflect proudly on their achievement and look forward to future prospects in the America’s Cup.
Nathalie Brugger, Skipper: “We had an excellent start. I was pleased with our strategy since we aimed for the left side where the pressure was greater, and we were first at the top mark. However, we made several mistakes due to unexpected wind shifts and some tricky maneuvers at the lower gates, leading to our downfall.”
Reflecting on the experience, it’s been incredible to create a team from scratch with women who were previously less experienced. A few months ago, many of us had never sailed a foiling boat, hadn’t even seen a jib, and had never sailed at speeds above 10 knots—yet here we are. We’ve accomplished remarkable things, winning a race and leading at the top marks, so I believe we can be proud of our joint journey.”
Alexandra Stalder, Helm: “Today was incredibly tough. We started strong but executed a poor maneuver at the lower gate, which took too long to resolve, costing us all our points. Still, this event has been the best experience of my life. I learned a lot, improved significantly, and made new friends. For the first-ever edition, it was impeccably organized, and I believe it can only improve from here.”
Coraline Jonet, Project Manager, Women’s Team: “We were clearly competitive, leading the race at the start, but conditions can be very unpredictable. Nonetheless, we’ve demonstrated to future generations and all women in sailing that a clear pathway exists. We’ve witnessed remarkable achievements by our team and all women participating this week. Switzerland has great talent, so we must nurture it, and the outlook is promising.”
