TUDOR TEAM ALINGHI STRENGTHEN AHEAD OF NAPLES

Back in Barcelona in 2024, Laurane Mettraux – part of an incredible sailing family dynasty – was onboard the Swiss team in the Women’s America’s Cup led by Nathalie Brugger and seen as a vital trimmer having come through the intense selection process. The team performed remarkably well and finished tied with Emirates Team New Zealand for a coveted space in the final, notably winning race 5 and showing great speed around what was a tricky regatta course held in variable winds. Sadly for Laurane and the Swiss team, the tie-break rules gave the position in the four-boat semi-finals to the Kiwis.

Undeterred, Laurane went back to the Women’s World Match Racing Tour in 2024 and was a key member of the World Sailing Women's World Match-Racing Championship winning team led by Pauline Courtois – Match in Pink by Normandy Elite Team.

Recently, Laurane and the team finished first in the 2026 Nordea Women's Trophy in Marstrand, Sweden, defending their title first won in 2025, and are viewed as being almost unbeatable in match-racing. She will bring all her skills to Tudor Team Alinghi going forward.

Another familiar face is that of Jann Schüpbach who skippered the Swiss team in the Youth America’s Cup in Barcelona sharing the co-helm duties with Arnaud Grange. The team had a difficult regatta, finishing sixth in Group A but learned a lot as Jann commendably said afterwards: “The racing has been really amazing; especially today the conditions were just perfect with 13 to 18 knots. Every time we were rounding the marks, all the group was together, so it was super-tight racing. I want to give a huge shout-out to the other teams - they really put on a show out there. We never gave up, but in the end, it was just not enough. To be part of Alinghi Red Bull Racing was a huge honour, and we've come so far as a team. We're a tight-knit group of friends, so it's been a hell of an experience that we've shared together.”

Since Barcelona, Jann has competed extensively on the highly competitive International Moth circuit and attended the World Championship in Manly, New Zealand in 2024 and Lake Garda in 2025, as well as using Foiling Week in Malcesine in 2024 as a tune-up regatta. One of the coming stars of Swiss sailing, Jann has stepped up to the senior team at Tudor Team Alinghi, a ringing endorsement of the pathway programme.

Tudor Team Alinghi re-confirmed their core team led by Paul Goodison as follows: Pietro Sibello, Nicolas Rolaz, Phil Robertson, Nathalie Ryan-Brugger and Bryan Mettraux (brother of Laurane). One notable name omitted is that of Jason Waterhouse who had previously been announced at a media event in Barcelona, and is widely tipped to have joined Team Australia for Naples 2027.

The Swiss team, two-time winners of the America’s Cup, will field one boat for the Preliminary Regatta as they continue their preparations for next year with their angular AC75 ‘Boat One’ being completed and upgraded to the new Technical Regulations in Genoa, Italy ahead of launch.