37th America's Cup: Dramatic mast breakage on "BoatOne" - Alinghi Red Bull Racing under pressure
Tatjana Pokorny
· 14.06.2024
It was a beautiful sailing day in Barcelona when the Swiss team Alinghi Red Bull Racing was out training with the new "BoatOne". The crew had been sailing for some time when suddenly, out of nowhere, the mast broke into several pieces. On the Video It is not clear from the mast break whether the sail first came loose from the mast groove or whether the break was due to a yielding forestay. Seconds later, the mast broke into several pieces. According to the team, the crew escaped serious injury.
America's Cup: Mast failure in 20 knots of wind
The afternoon sea breeze had just kicked in during the Swiss training session. The wind was around 20 knots. The locals in Barcelona speak of a strong Garbi. The team had just dropped below top speed when it looked as if the forestay had first slackened and then the rig immediately collapsed in a chain reaction. The lower third of the mast had bent forwards. The upper part of the mast fell backwards and the lower part of the rig plunged downwind into the water.
However, it is also possible that a failure in the mast itself could have had fatal consequences. Under extremely high luff tension, the sail could have come loose from the mast and, in combination with the high wind pressure, caused it to buckle. The exact course of events and causes are still being analysed.
Despite the shock, the sailing and support teams from Alinghi Red Bull Racing reacted immediately and professionally and also had divers in the water. Once the safety of the crew had been ensured, the next priority was the boat, which, according to initial assessments, only sustained scratches to the bow. Alinghi Red Bull Racing's Co-General Manager Silvio Arrivabene commented on the accident a short time later on land.
Alinghi is aiming for a quick comeback
Silvio Arrivabene said: "It was a very productive day at top wind speeds. A wonderful day, at the end of which we had a mast failure. This resulted in the mast breaking into several pieces. Now the boat is safely back at the dock. We're recovering the mast and getting on with the repairs." The manager continued in the late afternoon of 13 June: "We had a very productive day, achieved our goals, perhaps even exceeded them." That was until the mast broke.
Things like this are part of the sport" (Silvio Arrivabene)
When asked whether his team would be able to resume training soon, Silvio Arrivabene said: "Of course we know that things like this can happen in sailing. They are not unusual. That's why we have spare parts. It is now important to get everything back together as quickly as possible and continue our preparations."
The Swiss were the first to bring their boat to the venue for the 37th America's Cup. Now they are the first to suffer a broken mast.
