Issue date
This week the seven sailors who make up the NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ have arrived in San Francisco to prepare for the 2013 Red Bull Youth America’s Cup.
Latest team video here
Sailor profiles here
The regatta runs from September 1st to 4th and before then the Peter Burling led team will take part in an official training programme along with the nine other teams who they will line up against for four days of fleet racing to determine the inaugural Red Bull Youth America’s Cup Champions.
Team member Andy Maloney is excited about what’s to come; “I have been looking forward to the next month since being named as a member of the NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ entry into the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup back in January. We have a few weeks of lectures, training and all-around preparation in San Francisco before we race.”
“It is awesome to be part of such a skilled team of sailors. I am sure I will learn from being around other top sailors and the experiences we share over the next month will be unforgettable,” Maloney continues. “I am pretty sure swapping the Laser for an AC45 during this time is going to be a fun change! Can’t wait to get familiarized with the AC45 and racing in a ten boat fleet of these high-speed machines is going to be amazing.”
The AC45s were sailed during the America’s Cup World Series regattas in which the 2013 America’s Cup challengers honed their multihull sailing skills before their 72 foot cats were built and launched. The NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ are allocated with the AC45 belonging to Emirates Team New Zealand for the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup.
While it won’t be their first time on board an AC45 together, having spent time on the Emirates Team New Zealand catamaran in Auckland earlier this year, the official training period will be an important opportunity for the kiwi team.
The NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ are celebrating one of New Zealand’s leading menswear brands, Rodd and Gunn, has come on board as principal team partner and supplier of the on shore and casual clothing. Zhik will be providing technical on water gear and with the support of SOS Rehydration, the NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ have a great set of tools to help perform at their peak.
American based Navatek and Lancer have also teamed up to supply a charter boat and provision for operating costs such as fuel. This ‘coming together’ has been a big theme in the build up of this team; over 100 members of the public pledged support to the team through a crowdfunding campaign on www.thrillpledge.com.
“Thank you very much to everyone who has supported us,” says sailor Sam Meech. “It’s going to be a fantastic opportunity for us and hopefully we’ll bring it back for New Zealand.”
Follow the NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ via…
facebook.com/NZLSailingTeam and yachtingnz.org.nz
Media Opportunity in San Francisco
Where: Pier 23, America's Cup Headquarters
When: 8:15-8:45am, Monday August 12
RSVP: Please rsvp to media.center@americascup.com by August 11 at noon
Media Call and Photo Op for the Red Bull Youth America's Cup teams. Sailors 19-24 years old will receive their race helmets from Red Bull sports directors Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter Steinacher and ORACLE TEAM USA' s Russell Coutts to become Red Bull Athletes.
Media not in San Francisco wishing to contact or interview the NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ in the lead-up period and during the regatta can contact Jodie Bakewell-White jodie@yachtingnz.org.nz
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 heart of the 34th America’s Cup racing season.
About the NZL Sailing Team
NZL Sailing Team includes New Zealand’s top Olympic campaigners who share the ultimate goal to win Olympic medals for New Zealand at the Rio Games in 2016.
NZL Sailing Team sailors all started out at grass roots yacht clubs around the country and with commitment, dedication and drive have risen to be world class athletes; they work hard in the gym, train long hours on the water and are supported by great coaches.
For more information contact
Jodie Bakewell-White
Communications Manager, Yachting New Zealand
E. jodie@yachtingnz.org.nz
M. 021 709 065
