With so much attention in recent weeks being on the Sardinia Preliminary Regatta, over in Pensacola, Florida the American Racing Challenger Team USA has been busy setting up and getting ready for their first training blocks. This week, everything came to fruition with the launch and test sails of the team’s two AC40 yachts.
With no team or sailing squad announcement other than two-time Olympic gold medallist Giles Scott as Sailing Director, the Americans have been going through an extensive evaluation before breaking cover. It’s an exciting time for the candidates trialling and in Pensacola there was both a senior team and a Women’s team as confirmed by Paris 2024 Olympian Erika Reineke who elaborated on the training block, saying:
“We’ve been two-boating, so making sure that both boats are working properly and getting those dialled-in and set up right and looking at some aero and hydro settings in the light air that we had. The goals for the rest of the week are pretty similar with the conditions that we’ll have, pretty flat water and more light air to come. We’re just playing around with narrower cants at times and sometimes wider, depending on the boat speeds or what we’re entering our manoeuvres at.”
And talking specifically about the team make-ups, Erika confirmed: “We have a senior squad on one boat and then a women’s team on the other, and it’s been a pretty good mix, some tuning line-ups, which have been great, and also doing some starting practice…just getting the gist of things and seeing how the two teams work together and can benefit from each other.”
Interesting times ahead for American Racing Challenger Team USA – and it can’t be long before the de-liveried hulls get a snazzy make-over ahead of the second Preliminary Regatta in Naples from the 24-27 September 2026 where the American team are expected to confirm at least one boat for the regatta.
