SELECTING FOR THE LONG TERM – TUDOR TEAM ALINGHI
Of all the storylines in the lead up to the first Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta in Sardinia, the one that is arguably the most intriguing is that of Tudor Team Alinghi. In effect the proudly Swiss team has a blank canvas to hire the best in the world and fuse not only international talent with homegrown experience, but also to encourage the next generation of outstanding Swiss Women & Youth sailors through to the pinnacle.
In Barcelona the team opted for home-grown talent onboard their AC75 but with the nationality rules changing to allow up to two non-nationals onboard, it is very likely that they will seek to build a team around a key proven sailor, and it’s right here where the speculation starts. In effect, Ernesto Bertarelli can play ‘fantasy America’s Cup’ to bring in firepower that could see the two-time winners and only European team to ever win the America's Cup, back on top – and there are some big names out there that have been linked to signing for the Swiss.
Of all the names in international sailing, one occurs more often in the speculative media than any other, and that is Tom Slingsby. The Australian, who helmed NYYC American Magic in Barcelona, would be a prized asset to Tudor Team Alinghi as one of the most feared racers in foiling sailing. An Olympic gold medallist as well as multiple champion, Slingsby would undoubtedly bring a caché to the Swiss team that would indicate a long-term vision and a statement of intent.
Other names in the frame for the role include Sébastien Schneiter, the rapid Swiss foiler who has been making a name internationally, whilst the likes of Phil Robertson and Dean Barker have long-established relationships with Alinghi, especially after coming in for training sessions at the end of the Barcelona campaign. It is thought unlikely that the talents of Arnaud Psarofaghis and Maxime Bachelin will be called upon for the principal skippering role but either sailor could fill the co-helm role. Time will tell.
On the trim side, one homegrown Swiss name stands out in Bryan Mettraux (above) who is known to be highly respected by the hierarchy within the team, and we could well see a sailing role for Pietro Sibello who coached in the last cycle but would bring a depth of technical experience to the sailing team. Nicolas Rolaz (below) is the singular confirmed sailor on the team at this moment in time and could easily be either a co-helm or trimmer onboard the AC75.
However, the trimmer make-up will be decided most likely by who the team attracts as the skipper, and if they do go the way of Tom Slingsby then the second non-national place on the AC75 could well see one of his trusted lieutenants like Jason Waterhouse or Kyle Langford come in alongside. Again, all speculation at this point.
For the Women’s spot on the AC75, Tudor Team Alinghi has an abundance of talent to select from. In Barcelona in 2024 we saw the emergence of Nathalie Brugger (above) who led the Women’s America’s Cup team with established talents such as Maja Siegenthaler, Laurane Mettraux and Alexandra Stalder.
We also saw young talents such as Anja von Allmen (above) and Marie Mazuay impress, and it’s well-known that Swiss sailing all round is on the up and the Olympic ILCA talent of Maud Jayet is almost certainly to be in consideration. Maja Siegenthaler recently scored an impressive win in the Fireball World Championships, whilst Laurane Mettraux is a coming force on the World Match Racing Tour. Tough call for the Swiss to make in this area, but plenty to select from.
For the Youth team, again Tudor Team Alinghi could well go back into the pool of talent that emerged in Barcelona as they built a team around Andreas Aschieri, Joshua Richner and Arnaud Grange – all highly talented helms. Morgan Lauber and Jann Schüpbach formed the trim team alongside Anja von Allmen and Marie Mazuay which blended the Women & Youth teams beautifully. Again, it will be interesting to see which way the Swiss go as they build towards Naples in 2027.
One thing we do know for sure, is that Tudor Team Alinghi are building for the long-tern in the new America’s Cup Partnership. It’s a Formula 1 style approach with multiple campaigns on their horizon over multiple years and they are taking their time to build a solid foundation very much in the style of the ‘Alinghi family’ that they have always adopted. In this light, for the first Preliminary Regatta, Tudor Team Alinghi will field just one AC40 and we can expect announcements of the sailing team in the coming months ahead of training beginning in Barcelona.
Ernesto Bertarelli was clear when he spoke at the Teams Presentation in the Palazzo Reale in Naples recently about his commitment to Swiss sailing but also about blending international talent when he said: “I have always promoted Swiss sailing and youth and I think that the way to promote sailing in nations which are not as powerful in terms of volume and quality of sailors like England is or New Zealand is, is to actually allow yacht clubs, to mix professional seasoned international sailors with young sailors, and that's what Alinghi did since 2003 when we first started. We have created many, many, fantastic sailors, but we created them by mixing them with international sailors.”
Fascinating to see what happens in the coming weeks and months as the blank canvas is painted with the new-look Tudor Team Alinghi roster. We’ll bring you all the news as it happens.
Magnus Wheatley
