2023-10-12 19:57:10
Ver women competing in sailing is not strange. In fact, some disciplines of this sport are mixed. But seeing women taking charge in the Copa América will be the heritage of Barcelona. Next year’s 37th edition will celebrate for the first time in the history of the legendary event (173 years later) a women’s competition. In these weeks some teams are finishing choosing the crewas in the Alinghi Red Bull Racing.
With the brand new Moll d’España base already inaugurated, the Swiss facilities They have been filled this week with 20 applicants: eight women and 11 young people (between 18 and 25 years old). The Barcelona event of 2024 also recovers the youth competition, which has only been done three times. The Youth & Puig Women America’s Cup It will be held simultaneously with the men’s competition in which five teams (British, Italian, American, French and Swiss) will try to take the title. 100 guineas jug to the Defender of the title, Emirates Team New Zealand.
Experience essential
“It was essential that the America Cup to look at women at once and give them the chance to get experience as helmsmen,” claims the head of the Alinghi Red Bull Racing who organized the selection process, an enthusiastic Coraline Jonet. “Right now in an AC40 physical strength is not needed AC75 with cyclistsonly technique and these girls are extraordinary,” describes the person in charge during a break from the selection process.
Minutes before, the applicants have looked gawked from the dock how did that come out sea formula 1 sailboatwith the eight crew members who will fight next year to achieve the victory for Switzerland. To say goodbye to them, the 20 candidates have sounded with all their might the campana that is at the base, which notifies every time they leave for training, usually around noon.
Five-day coexistence
The coexistence of these five days of the group in the Catalan capital will also serve Jonet and the rest of the members of the court to elect the six girls of the women’s team and at six people from the youth, where there can also be women. The way they organize themselves to ring the bell, without going any further, how they communicate with each other, who is more or less leader with the rest, reveals how they may behave later in the water.
“Many of us know each other, we have competed between us or we have navigated together,” he describes Plant Arno24 years old, 49er sailor who will go to the Paris Olympics of next year. Without erasing his smile, the young man says that one of the aspects that he values most about having reached the third and final phase of selection is to share the base with your childhood heroes and adolescence.
The “Alinghi generation”
“Although we cannot access all the spaces, the simple fact of coming across these champions walking through these corridors is already exciting,” he confesses. Plant. Both he and his colleagues “vibrated with their country’s victories in 2003 and 2007, sitting on the sofa with their families watching it on television, they are the Alinghi generation,” he maintains. Coraline Jonet.
One of the homes in which the candle has been lived most intensely is in the house of Elodie Jane Mettrauxone of the eight women who longs to be part of the Swiss women’s team. There are five brothers, of which four are professionally dedicated to this sport. It is the case of Bryanwho was once a member of the young squad and today is a crew member of the Copa América team, or of Laurannewho also wants to enter the junior or female.
Demonstration to the girls
Elodie Jane, 38 years old, has made his debut in Barcelona waters these days, although he knew the city from tourism. “When she was a girl I never saw women competing: what is going to happen now in the Copa América is very important because will demonstrate to the little ones that they can also do whatever they set their minds to,” she says with conviction.
He selection committee of Alinghi will announce the day October 23 who are the 12 chosen, six for the women’s team and six for the youth team. They have opted for a generous and meticulous method which has included traveling to Barcelona, offering them to try the simulatorsailing with 69F, living together… “They have given us a lot and we believe that we should compensate them: if in the end they are not part of the crew at least They will have lived the experience very closely“Jonet reasons.
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A few miles further south, in Sitgesthe Sail Team BCN, with the Olympic medalist Monica Azon at the front, is also finalizing the selection of the crew of the Spanish team of women and young people. “It is a unique opportunity, we are making history because women will be competing in the most important event in the world,” she proclaims.
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