Revolution: Youth teams compete for a spot in the history books
Since Saturday 12 international youth teams have been battling it out
at the Red Bull Youth America´s Cup Selection Series Events off the
coast of San Francisco for starting spots at the main regatta taking
place as part of the 34th America’s Cup in September 2013. The teams
have until February 24 to convince sports directors and double Olympic
champions Roman Hagara and Hans Peter Steinacher (both AUT) of their
abilities on land and sea.
SAN FRANCISCO (California, USA) – The first days of the Red Bull Youth
America’s Cup Selection Series offered a glimpse of the massive
expectations placed on the youth teams that have gathered in San
Francisco for a shot at advancing to the September regatta. The teams
were put through their paces on shore by Sports Directors Roman Hagara
and Hans-Peter Steinacher, where the physical demands of sailing an
AC45 wing sail catamaran were made clear through an exhausting fitness
evaluation. “Everyone had to reach their own limits to survive the
tests on land,” said Benjamin Bildstein of Team Austria. “The strain
of sailing these boats is enormous. No team could have imagined in
advance the professionalism and the extent of the tests here. I hope
we perform well and can qualify for the main event”, said Erik Heil,
the 23-year-old helmsman for Germany’s STG/NRV team.
An award-winning line-up of sailors greeted the youth sailors
competing in the first selection series of the Red Bull Youth
America’s Cup. Russell Coutts (NZL), Jimmy Spithill (AUS), Ben Ainslie
(GBR), Roman Hagara (AUT), Hans Peter Steinacher (AUT), Iain Percy
(GBR) and Nathan Outteridge (AUS) – together have a collected resume
beyond excellence: five America’s Cup victories, 14 Olympic medals and
countless other titles. Coutts and Hagara said jointly: “This is some
of the best and most fun racing we have done in years. We are sure the
guys will enjoy it too.” Along with fitness testing, the teams were
instructed on how to sail an AC45 and how, hopefully, to avoid
capsizing.
“The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup is the best chance for young sailors
to make history,” said Hans-Peter Steinacher, one of the Red Bull
Youth America´s Sport Directors. “We will select the best of the best.”
“My pathway to the America’s Cup was one of good luck. When I was a
youth sailor there wasn’t a clear pathway to the Cup. But the Red Bull
Youth America’s Cup gives these guys a great opportunity, and the
game’s opened up to much wider participation” said ORACLE TEAM USA
skipper Jimmy Spithill.
Ben Ainslie, the four-time Olympic gold medalist: “The Olympics used
to be the avenue to get into professional sailing and the America’s
Cup. But now the Cup is becoming more accessible for youth sailors,
and that’s great for the sport.”
Emirates Team New Zealand, Artemis Racing, China Team and Energy Team
have all indicated they are supporting teams for the Red Bull Youth
America’s Cup. Youth crews with the support of an America’s Cup World
Series team are eligible for direct entry to September’s event via the
Regatta Director.
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The six national teams taking part in the first session of the Red
Bull Youth America’s Cup Selection Series are:
AUS – Objective Australia
AUT – Team Austria
DEN – Danish Youth Vikings
GER – STG-NRV Youth Team
NZL – Full Metal Jacket Racing
RSA – Team i’KaziKati
The first group is on site at the Selection Series in San Francisco
between February 9-15. Then, from February 18-24, a second group of
youth crews will go through the same process, including the following
teams:
ARG – Arg Youth Team
GBR – GBR Youth Challenge
ITA – Team Italy powered by Stig
POR – ROFF/Cascais Sailing Team
SUI – Team TILT
NZL – tbc
At the end of the second session, at least four teams will be selected
to proceed to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup taking place from
September 1-4, right before the America’s Cup Finals in San Francisco.
About the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup
For the first time in the history of the America’s Cup, young,
talented sailors have a clear pathway towards competing for one of the
most prestigious trophies in sport.
Racing will take place in the same high performance, wing-sailed AC45
catamarans that are used in the America’s Cup World Series. The Red
Bull Youth America’s Cup is scheduled for September 1-4, 2013, in San
Francisco, during the 34th America’s Cup racing season.