At first she was cautious, then she wanted to join in: ski star Lindsey Vonn accepted an invitation from the America's Cup title defenders and went sailing with Jimmy Spithill and Oracle Team USA one day before the start of the ACWS regatta in New York. The American, who won her eighth world title in the downhill this year, is already considered daring. She clearly enjoyed the fast ride on the catamaran.
The skier's flirtation with the America's Cup came during the hosts' last training session before the start of the second regatta of the 2016 America's Cup World Series. After a short familiarisation period ("I was nervous and didn't want to do anything wrong"), Lindsey Vonn lent a hand herself on the Hudson River and took over a grinder position. She then said: "After I felt more and more comfortable, I asked to join in and take on tasks that challenged me. I worked as a grinder and lowered the foils. You can see it when you rise out of the water on the foils. It was an incredible experience."
For the first time in almost a century, America's Cup teams will be sailing in New York Harbour this weekend. The defending champions' press release reads as follows: "The multi-day event kicks off on Saturday, showcasing the world's best sailors sailing the fastest boats in front of the city that never sleeps."
Jimmy Spithill was impressed by his female star guest, saying: "She really had the fire to be part of our team. She wanted us to challenge her. She has a lot of power and I felt comfortable as skipper to let her take control in some positions." Lindsey Vonn was impressed after her outing: "There's a big parallel between sailing and skiing: you have to be aware of what's going on around you. In both sports, we analyse the wind, the speed and the limits of the race. People probably don't even realise how many real-time adjustments these guys make."
ServusTV reports from New York
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Element not implemented: Emirates Team New Zealans (192 points) leads the overall standings of the World Series ahead of Oracle Team USA (186 points) and the British team Land Rover BAR (185 points).
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
