Tudor Team Alinghi has named the sailors who will carry its Women's and Youth campaigns forward, following a week of training in Naples that the Swiss squad says has set up a clear path to its next camp in March.
Six days of sailing were planned for the Women's and Youth sailors. Thunderstorms wiped out one of them.
"It was a really successful week," said Nathalie Brgger, the sailor and Women & Youth leader overseeing the camp. "We had four days of proper sea breeze, with seven to twelve knots on flat water, perfect conditions for learning."
By the end of the week the group was driving the AC40 unaided. Brgger and fellow coach Jann Schüpbach stepped back entirely, and the youth sailors eventually took the boat out with no coach aboard at all.
"It was a pleasure to work with the squad," Brgger said. "They supported the shore crew with boat cleaning, communications and safety, allowing us to maximise our time on the water. We improved day by day, leaving us with clear goals to work on at our next camp in March. We even had time for some team building on the padel court."
The sailors confirmed to return to Naples in March, to begin training for the Women's and Youth America's Cups, include several faces familiar from Barcelona 2024.
The Women's Team is Laurane Mettraux (SUI, SNG), Jessica Berthoud (SUI, SNG), Milly Boyle (GBR-SUI), Marie Mazuay (SUI, SNG) and Tine Rossel (SUI). Mettraux and Mazuay both return from the Barcelona campaign.
The Youth Team is Micha De Weck, Arnaud Grange (SNG), Joshua Richner (Gstaad Yacht Club), Nilo Schärer (Thunersee Yacht Club), Matthieu Sistek, formerly of the Shore Team and Club Nautique de Lutry, and Nick Zeltner (Regatta Club Oberhofen). All are Swiss. Grange and Richner also return from Barcelona.
Joshua Richner spoke of how quickly the group settled into life aboard the AC40, and how clearly each sailor understood their job on the boat. Being part of Alinghi, he said, is a serious honour.
"So many people know the story. I only have to say 'Alinghi', and everyone thinks of the two-time America's Cup winner. That motivates me and my generation enormously," Richner said.
Laurane Mettraux echoed the sentiment. "There are a few things you want to achieve in life, and sailing with Alinghi is definitely one of them. I'm really looking forward to helping build a strong team, and it already feels great."
Most of the America's Cup fleet has now left Naples. Alinghi hasn't.
The Swiss remain based there alongside the French team and Britain's GB1, continuing to work on the water while the rest of the circuit disperses.
BoatOne, Alinghi's AC75, is in a Genoa shipyard undergoing final modifications to meet the revised class rules. She is due to arrive at the team's new base in Bagnoli, Naples within weeks. After a short commissioning period, the team expects to have her sailing before the year-end break.
