Now or never for Alinghi Red Bull Racing
by Alinghi Red Bull Racing 15 Sep 10:14 PDT
15 September 2024
Alinghi Red Bull Racing BoatOne v INEOS Britannia pre start on Louis Vuitton Cup Semi Finals Day 2 in Barcelona, Spain - 15th September 2024 © Alinghi Red Bull Racing / Samo Vidic
Alinghi Red Bull Racing can't seem to find its groove in the Semi-Finals opposite INEOS Britannia. The Swiss Challenger is giving it their all, both on the water and onshore, but it may not be enough opposite the British, who have shown incredible improvement since the start of the competition.
On Day 2 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals, Alinghi Red Bull Racing still had a lot to prove on the racecourse. In the first match, a bad start dashed the Swiss team's hopes before crossing the line. In the second race, the Swiss team showed a more consistent performance, but they lost distance throughout the course as the British continued to sail quickly and cleanly to take their fourth point. With five points still left to take, the Swiss team needs to figure out what can be done to beat the British tomorrow. The crew has shown in the past they have what it takes to start each day anew, which is exactly what is required at this level of competition.
Arnaud Psarofaghis, Skipper: "To be honest, the British have looked almost untouchable lately, so we really need to find the key to beating them. We know we're not going to reinvent the wheel tomorrow. We just need to do what we can with what we have, be really proud of what we do, and fight until the end."
Franco Noti, Cyclor: "It was champagne conditions today, but no reason to open champagne. Obviously, it's a massive disappointment, and the sailing crew are the ones who are the strictest with themselves. We hope we can build momentum and that we can somehow turn things around."
Brad Butterworth, Board Member: "We lost another two races. One in pretty spectacular form, and the second one was a little bit better, but not much better. The sailors trained for a long time to try and not make these mistakes. So, when it does happen, it's pretty disappointing for everybody. Up against Ben Ainslie, he's a pretty hot match racer, and for the guys it's hard to cram 20 years of experience into a short amount of time. It's not easy to be 4-0 down. It would be nice to see this team win a race tomorrow."