Tina Lutz is one of Germany's best-known female sailors. In 2005, she sailed into the international limelight as the first German Opti World Champion in the mixed field of boys and girls. Twice, the helmswoman from Chiemgau narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Olympic summits in the 470 and the 49erFX.
With an Olympic medal to the America's Cup
The breakthrough came at the third attempt for the two-time European skiff champion: in Enoshima, Tina Lutz sailed to an acclaimed Olympic silver medal with her foresailor Susann Beucke in 2021. It was only the second Olympic medal for German sailing athletes after windsurfing silver for Amelie Lux in Sydney 2000.
After the end of her Olympic career and with a master's degree in business psychology in her pocket, Tina Lutz has now embarked on a career. However, sailing remains an important factor in the life of the ambitious helmswoman, who married in 2022 and lives in Tyrol.
These weeks, Tina Lutz is one of six German sailors who will be in Barcelona to seize the opportunities that the first Women's America's Cup offers them and eleven other prominent women's teams. Not all twelve teams are starting the historic new female Cup chapter with the same chances. Some women's crews are offshoots of major America's Cup campaigns, others have larger budgets. However, many of those who would have liked to have made it to Barcelona did not.
From the simulator to the AC40
The women's crews of the Cup teams were able to prepare more intensively and with access to AC40 trailers for the summit assault on the big America's Cup stage. The German women from AC Team Germany and the Dutch women with the 49erFX Olympic champions Odile van Aanholt and Annette Duetz lacked the funds to buy an AC40 mini-cupper or at least charter one for a few days. Instead, they toiled away in the simulator. Hours, days, months.
The Women's America's Cup began today off Barcelona. Firstly, the women of the Cup teams in Group A are challenged in four races. On Sunday, Group B, including AC Team Germany, will start its first day of racing with four races. Each group will contest two days of racing and a total of eight races before the top three teams qualify for the semi-final series on 11 October.
On 13 October - the day after the starting signal for the 37th America's Cup match between Ineos Britannia and Emirates Team New Zealand - the two best women's teams will battle it out for victory in the first Puig Women's America's Cup.
Storm or calm: the goal remains
"It's rather unrealistic to hope that we'll reach the final," says Tina Lutz, referring to the conditions that AC Team Germany had. But the German women will be there when the first Women's America's Cup heralds a new era. They had the courage to take this path when it was not clear how far it could lead and how hard it would be. They are competitive sportswomen who stick to their goals even in stormy and calm conditions.
Team skipper and trimmer Carolina Werner, skipper Maru Scheel (both Kieler Yacht-Club), helmswomen Tina Lutz (Chiemsee Yacht Club) and Victoria Jurczok (Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee) as well as the two trimmers Luise Wanser and Jill Paland (both Norddeutscher Regatta Verein) have personally invested a lot to be able to be there off Barcelona when the America's Cup sails into the future with the new women's competition.
The fact that, based on their means and possibilities, the result must be of secondary importance and the focus must be on being there when the Cup train is travelling into the future has demanded - and will continue to demand - acceptance qualities from the German sailors. But what they will learn could be more valuable for the future and subsequent project opportunities than a successful result.
Interview: Tina Lutz
YACHT online met Tina Lutz in Barcelona for an interview. The 34-year-old takes a realistic view of the chances for AC Team Germany. Like the other participants, she primarily sees the opportunities that the Women's America's Cup offers sailors.
Tina, you've now had a few hours' experience behind the wheel of an AC40 Foiler outside Barcelona. How does it feel?
It feels different than expected. At first, the ship feels like a heavy whale. It's in the water, it's huge, it makes ultra-loud noises. And you sit in there and think the whole time: What is that? What is that? And what is that? Then comes the moment when the boat takes off. And then the 'heavy whale' suddenly becomes a flying projectile. You take off and are pushed backwards into the seat by the speed. And you think: Wow! Wow! You then accelerate so quickly, it's an incredible feeling.
Your team-mate Vicky Jurczok has already described the feeling as "the greatest sailing hours of my life". Is that true?
Yes, when I think about the greatest events of my life, I have to say that winning the Opti World Championship was mega. Also the Olympic medal, marrying my husband, but definitely having the opportunity to sail on an AC40 like this. That is so good! And I hope with all my heart that it continues, that we can get a series together, that we can sail around the course again and again with all these cool, talented and incredibly successful women.
How long will it take before female sailors can compete on an equal footing with men for jobs in the America's Cup and other major events?
I think you simply need enough time in the ship. We need the same opportunities as the men have. The men also have the chance to get into teams without previous AC75 experience. The newcomers are also getting on a ship like this for the first time. They get this chance. Until now, women have not had these opportunities. They were always told, yes, you're great sailors, but you just can't sail AC40 or AC75. How could you if you don't get the chance? Now we have it with the Women's America's Cup!
Why is the regatta so important for top female sailors?
That's why it's very, very important for us! If these boats remain the boats for the America's Cup, then we now have the chance to show everyone how well we can sail on these boats.
I'm absolutely certain that mixed crews would be much more successful on the AC75 yachts because women have skills that men might not have." Tina Lutz
With what desired success?
In every company, there is a push to have women and men in management. This makes the company much more successful, so to speak. Simply because these different views, this combination of women and men, can be so strong. That also applies in sport in particular. We have to get there. But first you have to get there.
You already beat boys and girls when you won the World Championship in the Opti as a 15-year-old. The AC40 foilers can be sailed gender-neutral with two fixed helmsmen and two trimmers. There are also some roles on the AC75 Cup yachts, including the helm positions, that can be filled by both men and women without any loss of strength...
There is not a single reason why a woman cannot steer or trim on the AC75. Women can sail at least as well as men. But they have not yet been given the chance to get on these boats...
At the inspiring press conference for the Women's America's Cup before the start of the regatta, all twelve team representatives confirmed that none of them had ever set foot on an AC75 cupper. Not even the women involved in major Cup campaigns...
I hope that this first Women's America's Cup will be the starting signal for getting women on the big boats too. That is our goal. We want to sail the big boats!
This is now happening for the first time in the SailGP: in November, a woman will be at the helm for the first time at the start of the new fifth season: Double Olympic champion Martine Grael will lead the new team from Brazil into the world league of fast-paced sailing with foiling F50 catamarans. You know her well...
(Laughs) Of course. Martine came first at the Olympic Games in Japan, I came second. I know her very well. She has incredible talent in sailing. I'm sure she'll beat the men if she gets enough time.
This time has also been granted to other newcomers. The Germany SailGP team led by Erik Heil did not make it past last place in its debut season, even though things were steadily improving and there were some very strong races...
Martine will also need this time. She needs to be given it. She can't be better than the others overnight. I hope that this will also be accepted in the media. You need time on the boat to become good. You have to accept that. I hope she gets enough time to make this step and beat the men. I'm sure she's mentally strong enough to deal with this pressure. She has already won gold twice at the Games. You have to be really strong in the head to do that.
As soon as you can earn a living by sailing like the men here, I'll be right behind you." Tina Lutz
You yourself are already working for a company, but you still put a lot of time, effort and work into this project with the women in AC Team Germany. Could this become a new, sporting career goal for you?
If you can earn a living and build a career with this sailing here, then right away. But so far that hasn't happened. So far, we've only spent money on it. We've paid for our trips ourselves, so we've paid extra. That's why I can't quit my job. How would I make a living then?
An old dream?
You've known me since I became Opti World Champion. Jochen Schümann presented me with the trophy. He was already a multiple Olympic champion at the time. He had won the America's Cup with Alinghi two years earlier. I looked up to him so much back then. As an Opti kid, you have this thought, yes, of course, I want to sail in the America's Cup later on. I was then allowed on board with Chris Dickson myself (editor's note: Dickson was skipper of the America's Cup racing team BMW Oracle Racing for the 2007 America's Cup), back then in Malmö in a pre-regatta for the America's Cup. He even let me steer a jibe. It was clear to me that I wanted to take part in the Cup myself. But when you get older and your expectations are totally dampened because there are simply no opportunities for women, it's obviously a real shame.
This is where the Women's America's Cup is supposed to change course. Is this a realistic hope for real opportunities for female sailors?
Yes, it's the starting signal. Now we need money so that we can buy a boat. We need money so that we can train. And we need money so that we can pay the sailors for their work. I believe that female sailors here have a lot to give in professional sport and in the America's Cup.
REPLAY! The opening race of the Women's America's Cup - the first race of Group A:
