After over a decade away from the America’s Cup, Alinghi, one of the most dynamic names in the history of the event, returned to battle for sailing’s highest honour. The double America’s Cup-winning syndicate joined forces with Red Bull, a driving force in global sport, to create a new team in December 2021: Alinghi Red Bull Racing.
The team represents the Société Nautique de Genève and is partnered with Swiss watch brand TUDOR. In 2024, the official Swiss challenger reached the semi-final of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the Challenger Selection Series for the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona and also fielded teams in the Youth and Women’s America’s Cup.
OUR JOINT VENTURE
As announced in December 2021, Red Bull, and double America’s Cup-winning syndicate Alinghi team up to campaign for the oldest trophy in international sport. “While keeping the winning spirit that has always been at the heart of Alinghi, we want this challenge to do something totally different, totally new and totally fresh,” said Alinghi founder Ernesto Bertarelli. “When we imagined with 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.’”
Alinghi and Red Bull have long been friendly rivals in series such as the GC32 Racing Tour and the Extreme Sailing Series. Having shared this mutual respect and admiration, Hans-Peter Steinacher, a two-time Olympic champion in the Tornado Class and Austria’s most successful summer sport athlete, is enthusiastic about the partnership: “I am proud to see that the team works and performs as ONE motivated group. On land and on the water. We have a clear goal: to win the 37th America's Cup. We accept the challenge and know that we can only achieve this if everyone on the team gives 100%,” he said.
In partnering with Alinghi, Red Bull also brings the expertise of the Red Bull Advanced Technologies unit that has supported Red Bull Racing in achieving a total of eight Formula One Drivers’ Championships – including the dominating triumph secured by Max Verstappen in 2022, 2023 and 2024. "We share our experiences, engineering tips, etc. It is a two-way cooperation," explained Red Bull Racing’s team principal Christian Horner.
SWISS SAILORS ONBOARD
Sixteen sailors have been selected to join the Alinghi Red Bull Racing crew to represent the Société Nautique de Genève and Switzerland during the 37th America’s Cup. While some are new to the sport, these talented athletes are backed by several of sailing’s biggest names.
On 8 June 2022, Alinghi Red Bull Racing presented the sailing team, and with an average age of 30, it is eleven years younger than the last crew that took Switzerland to victory in Valencia.
According to the rules of the 37th America’s Cup, eight sailors will race the AC75 foiling monohull, organised in two groups: the Driving Group and the Power Group. The Driving Group selection process started in summer 2021 with interviews, followed by physical and sailing tests. “It was really a collective effort. We worked with the head coach and the first sailors selected, and made all our decisions together,” explained Pierre-Yves Jorand, leading the selections in Switzerland. “Character, attitude, and development potential are as important as skills. We’re going to be driving a Formula 1 machine with several people in the cockpit: one on the brake, one steering, one on the accelerator, and one on the gear lever. It’s all about teamwork.”
Recruitment for the Power Group focused on members of the Swiss cycling and rowing federations. “The track record of these athletes caught our attention; though not experienced in sailing, they excel in top-level sports, winning, and performance under pressure,” added Nils Frei, working with Pierre-Yves Jorand in the selections. “Rowers are extremely versatile athletes due to their strength, power, and endurance. But we still had to explain to them what this event represents; it’s a career choice, a life choice.”
Alinghi Red Bull Racing – sailing team
Driving Group
Maxime Bachelin - Nicolas Charbonnier - Lucien Cujean - Yves Detrey - Bryan Mettraux - Arnaud Psarofaghis - Nicolas Rolaz
Cyclors
Arthur Cevey - Barnabé Delarze - Paul Jacquot - Augustin Maillefer - Franco Noti - Théry Schir - Nico Stahlberg - Nils Theuninck - Florian Trüb
THE DESIGN TEAM
Alinghi Red Bull Racing is above all else a team, a group of passionate people working together towards one goal: winning the America’s Cup. Working alongside the sailors mentioned above, the design team is led by Marcelino Botin, principal designer of the Swiss challenger, in charge of hydro and aerodynamics.
“It’s a big responsibility to lead the design for such a legendary team that has won the America’s Cup twice, and even more so after partnering with Red Bull and benefiting from the knowledge of Red Bull Advanced Technologies. The cohesion between the designers and the sailors really illustrates where Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s strength lies, with numerous synergies, and an excellent work atmosphere where ideas come together,” he said. Design Coordinator Adolfo Carrau oversees the different areas of design. From a global perspective, the most important strength of any design group is how the whole team works together.
The Boat Build
The AC75, per the official race protocol, was built in Switzerland, home country of the club which the team represents: the Société Nautique de Genève. After long months of hard work on design, development and construction in Ecublens, Switzerland, the boat was carefully wrapped for transport with the cover signed by Ecublens boat builders, led by Jean-Marie Fragnière, to celebrate the handoff. BoatOne left the boatyard along the shores of Lake Geneva in Ecublens in February 2024 and traveled by truck across France and into northeastern Spain before arriving at the team Base in Barcelona on March 5, 2024.
BARCELONA BASE
On 8 August 2022, Alinghi Red Bull Racing launched BoatZero – a training AC75 bought in New Zealand – becoming the first team to take up residence in Barcelona, home of the 37th America’s Cup. Having settled in the Catalan capital, the team turned its attention to the lengthy process of preparing BoatZero. During the christening, Alceo Bertarelli broke the traditional bottle on the wing, marking an important step in the campaign for the 37th America’s Cup.
BoatZero was a training platform for the young Swiss sailors who hadn’t sailed an AC75 before. To aid the learning curve, the crew is mentored by highly experienced sailors: Dean Barker of New Zealand, (NZL), Phil Roberson (NZL) and Jason Waterhouse (AUS). Pietro Sibello (ITA), a finalist in the 36th America’s Cup with Luna Rossa, brings his expertise as head coach.
After one year in a temporary Base in Port Vell, the team moved to its permanent Base for the 37th America’s Cup, located between the Barcelona Aquarium and the Maremagnum, in July 2023. The team opened its doors for the public in September, to welcome the fans in a celebration Open Doors Day at the Base.
Nine months later, Alinghi Red Bull Racing officially presented its race yacht, BoatOne, with a Christening ceremony at dockside that featured a human tower from local Castellers. The special honors were performed by Chiara Bertarelli, who cracked the bottle of Champagne across the bow. The racing machine was then craned into the water for her first contact with the sea. The milestone marked a significant shift to the final competition phase of the campaign with the official opening of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.
