Women’s team Alinghi Red Bull is certain: soloist von Allmen would like to sail as a team to the America’s Cup

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This week, heads at the Barcelona headquarters will turn for days until the jury makes a decision. In the final, Alinghi Red Bull Racing selected another eight sailors who wanted to participate in the America’s Cup next year in the small classes of Women (women from 18 years old) and Youth (women and men up to 25 years old).

For the final selection, the best 20 of the original 69 candidates were sent to Spain. It’s a who’s who of Swiss sailing. Due to the national rule in effect during the America’s Cup, all teams must be from the team’s country.

Selectors separate the pair of sisters

Now the last dozens have been decided. There are difficult decisions involved. The five-member jury even separated two sisters. Elodie-Jane Mettraux (38) makes the women’s team, sister Laurane (31) is kicked out.

Another crazy scenario for women: Maud Jayet (27) is the first Swiss woman to qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games. But she does not get a place at Alinghi Red Bull – her Olympic training partner Anja von Allmen (20) does.

Von Allmen will have to wait at least until 2028 for the Olympic Games. But with the place in the America’s Cup, another great sailing dream for the Spiez woman comes true. Sailing to Geneva in Barcelona in 2024 is the big highlight of the year.

Von Allmen is even chosen by the jury as the first woman. She tells SonntagsBlick: “Switzerland’s best sailors were available for selection. It was unexpected that I was even the first to receive the card.”

There’s quite a bit of understatement in it. Von Allmen is considered one of Switzerland’s greatest talents. But when she advanced to the first selection stage at Lake Thun this summer, she was a little skeptical about whether she would ultimately be considered for Alinghi Red Bull for two reasons. Von Allmen had no experience with the ‘foils’, the wings that make the boat fly. And she was previously a dedicated solo sailor and used to making all the decisions herself on the water.

Solo sailor suddenly in the best team

But with enormous ambition, the Bernese woman showed that she absolutely wanted to be there. Now the soloist is part of the best team in Switzerland. «In the Olympic class I ride alone. But I have now been able to show that I have certainly improved my communication on the boat.”

The only downside: Von Allmen would have liked to work with Maud Jayet, her Olympic training partner and also a competitor for the starting spot. But fair: the Olympian did not reach the final in the first-class field.

Source : Blick