Sailing Team Germany (STG) and the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein (NRV) were selected by the organisers with their "STG/NRV Youth America's Cup Team" as the German representatives for the preliminary round of the Red Bull Youth America's Cup.
Two-time Olympic champions Roman Hagara and Hans-Peter Steinacher, in their capacity as sports directors of the Red Bull Youth America's Cup, have selected the twelve teams that have received an invitation to the "February Section Series Trials".
"We received a lot of applications to take part, in fact there were more than 30," says Hagara. "We looked at the teams and paid particular attention to teamwork and fitness levels - because the AC45 is an extremely physically demanding boat. And of course they had to be very good sailors."
"We're absolutely delighted to be the only German team to be selected for the elimination series in February. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," says Erik Heil, who is seeded as skipper together with Philipp Buhl.
The German team is made up of members of the national sailing team, the Audi Sailing Team Germany, and the Norddeutscher Regatta Verein. The other crew members for the eight-strong team (six on board, two as substitutes) were selected by Markus Koy, STG Top Teams Coordinator, and Klaus Lahme, NRV Sports Director, at the beginning of December during an inspection in the Mediterranean and will be announced shortly, according to STG.
In the elimination series from 9 to 24 February 2013 off San Francisco, twelve teams will compete against each other on the AC45 racing catamarans. The four best will go through to the final from 1 to 4 September 2013. There they will meet the next generation of professional teams that are already sailing in the America's Cup World Series and whose teams are automatically seeded for the final.
Only one team per nation can compete. Each team consists of six crew members aged between 19 and 24.
The teams are screened in two blocks:
Block 1 - 9 to 15 February
Australia - Objective Australia
Austria - Team Austria
Denmark - Danish Vikings
Germany - STG/NRV Youth America's Cup Team
New Zealand - Full Metal Jacket Racing
South Africa - Team i'KaziKati
Block 2 - 18 to 24 February
Argentina - Argentina AC45 Youth Team
France - French Youth Team
Italy - Team Italy
Netherlands - Flying Dutchies
Portugal - Team Cascais
Switzerland - Team TILT
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
