Alinghi Red Bull Racing AC40-4 Day 30 Summary

Mastering the tricky light stuff in Barcelona is very much the calling card of Alinghi Red Bull Racing and in a fading, dying breeze, they grabbed a weather window on Wednesday and took full advantage putting in a vital testing day on the AC40-4 LEQ12. With the new M1 mainsail complemented by the equally loft-fresh J1, there was plenty of light-build carbon fibre strands up aloft to give the horsepower and Arnaud Psarofaghis and Maxime Bachelin put on a demonstration of windward heel foiling at height whilst Bryan Mettraux and Lucien Cujean, two cool heads in the cockpit, kept the LEQ12 in flight across a variety of pitch and mode settings to test out the Tubercle foil and extract that vital A/B data that the designer demand. Nils Frei came to the interview to sum up the day where he saw “valuable lessons” being taken and then spoke about the work the Swiss are putting into the simulator programme which he describes as “getting closer and closer to reality” and how they are using the programme in a 360 process to improve all over. Nils also alludes to the coming two-boat testing programme with the LEQ12 and the teams new AC40-7 which is commissioned and ready to hit the water. Fascinating days for Alinghi Red Bull Racing who are about to be joined in Barcelona in July by the rest of the America’s Cup fleet – a prospect they are no doubt, relishing. Section 41. Reconnaissance a) As a campaign cost reduction measure, COR/D has mutually agreed to cooperatively implement a centralised reconnaissance programme for all teams for the reconnaissance of all Competitors’ AC75 Yachts, AC40 Yachts and LEQ12 yachts including both on-land and on-water imagery (the “Joint Recon Programme”). b) Each team is assigned a two-person Recon Unit to follow their every on-water move, but it's not that simple. The cameras are supplied and identical for all Recon Units. Drones are not allowed, and they can't get that close, plus following a boat and keeping a camera steady at 45 knots isn't that easy to begin with. c) A three minute interview follows each on water day, and teams must answer the Recon Unit's questions while trying not to give too much away. It's a raw, unedited view of the never before seen behind-the-scenes development of a team and their boat to win the oldest trophy in international sports. #AC37Recon #AmericasCup #Barcelona2024