OPENING PRESS CONFERENCE – VILANOVA I LA GELTRÚ

A regatta where no-one wants a poor showing, success here would offer a powerful morale boost to the campaigns on the first step on the road to the 37^th America’s Cup in Barcelona in 2024. Peter Burling, speaking on behalf of the Defenders of the America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand, was excited to be at the venue saying: “We’re incredibly excited to be here in Vilanova, in Catalonia and in Barcelona. The team have enjoyed the transition up here, settled in well and it feels like a second home now.”

Ben Ainslie, skipper and Team Principle of the Challenger of Record, INEOS Britannia, was itching to get on the water and line-up against the teams that they will need to beat to wrest the Cup back to Britain for the first time since its inception in 1851, saying: I’m pretty certain all the teams are super-excited to get out, it’s great to be back racing and sharpening up our racing skills.”

Arnaud Psarofaghis, the skipper of Alinghi Red Bull Racing was asked what it meant for Switzerland to be back in the America’s Cup and to look ahead to the first Preliminary Regatta in Vilanova: “For Switzerland, we are proud to be back in the game and competing again. It will be a tricky venue as we saw yesterday (in practice) but for the spectators to watch, it’s going to be exciting.”

The Press Conference moved into questions regarding performance with Francesco Bruni, part of the four-strong helming squad for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli saying: “We are very pleased with the way our training in Barcelona and Cagliari has gone. We are excited to be here, and a good result would be a good achievement for the team.” Francesco later talked about the AC40 as a class, adding: “It’s a very nice boat and proving to be something for the future and is good for communication, tactical decisions and great to develop our sailing skills for the next America’s Cup.” Ben Ainslie echoed Francesco’s words saying: “This boat, in an equal format, gives everyone a shot at winning.”

Tom Slingsby, skipper of the New York Yacht Club American Magic syndicate and one of the most decorated sailors of the planet with long experience in the Cup brought further perspective and edge to what the Preliminary Regatta in Vilanova i La Geltrú meant, saying: “It’s huge. As a team we haven’t raced much together so it’s a chance to improve as a team and in equal boats, if we beat whoever it would give a mental edge to know that our team can beat your team in equal boats. I happen to think the mental game is very important in the America’s Cup.”

Quentin Delapierre, skipper of Orient Express Racing Team, the newest team in the America’s Cup but more than capable of causing an upset in the racing, contextualised the French team’s approach to the upcoming racing, saying: “For France as a sailing nation, it’s great to be back in the America’s Cup in Barcelona and we’re looking to learn as much as we can from this regatta.”

Thursday sees official race practice with three non-counting races to be conducted. Racing starts on Friday with three counting races scored on a highest points basis with the podium places for each race scoring ten, seven and five points respectively, placing a high emphasis on consistency and early points scoring.

It’s all to play for here in Vilanova i La Geltrú. The sailors are more than keen to start racing in earnest and soon we will have a very clear picture of the form of each team with the weekend promising a white-hot battle for supremacy in the most exciting new foiling monohull class, the AC40. Stay tuned. (Magnus Wheatley)