Maiden voyage for SWE 96

Victory Challenge's new steed goes for a night sail

The sun set slowly over Valencia and coloured the sky purple and orange. In the waters off Malvossa beach the wind blew 18-20 knots. This is where Magnus Holmberg took SWE 96 on her maiden voyage as the light of the day turned into dark of the night yesterday.
 
“What a beauty! Fantastic! An unbelievable feeling! Just cannot be compared,” enthused crewman Santiago Lange.
 
It was Saturday, the day after the launch of SWE 96 and the first tests of the structure in the harbour. It was also a day when other America Cup teams, Team Shosholoza, Areva Challenge, and Mascalzone Latino, wanted to sail, but chose to break off their preparations due to strong winds.
 
Victory Challenge’s meteorologists thought, however, that a window should open later in the afternoon so that it would be possible to sail. Hence at 16:45, the team gathered by the boat and the decision was made: SWE 96 was to be towed out of the America’s Cup harbour.
 
“We go and check. We are not yet sure whether we can sail,” said Magnus Holmberg whereby shore manager Sam Murch went through what would happen if they could sail.
 
Hoisting the mainsail and the genoa; structural test sailing to windward, limited load on the equipment, and if all went well it would be time to try tacking. This is the routine for newly built boats for the America’s Cup going through such testing for a couple of days before giving it all.
 
That the sun was already setting was no obstacle for the Victory Challenge team this late Februry afternoon. Everybody wanted so much to sail SWE 96 for the first time. 
Killian Bushe, the boatbuilding manager, was on board as was Mani Frers, the boat designer. When they got out on the water the wind speed had decreased to 15 knots, making it possible to sail.
 
Midbowman Andy Meiklejohn was sent up in the mast to prepare the hoisting of the mainsail. It was hoisted and the sail number SWE 96 was for the first time clearly visible on the water where the final pre-regatta prior to the challenger series Louis Vuitton Cup, Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 13, will start in 51 days. In many ways the mainsail looked different from the one used in the pre-regattas of 2005 and 2006. It has one more official supplier next to Sail Racing: Rutgerson Marin; and the Tele2 Logo have been re-worked. But more than anything, the crew was for the first time on board their new boat they will use in the races of the 32nd America’s Cup.
 
The boat sailed to windward with its all new Red Bull design on the hull. Eager expectation soon changed to smiles, and they decided to make their first tack. There are a lot of sounds onboard an America’s Cup boat but everybody listened out for sounds over and above the normal; signs of structural faults. Killian Bushe held his ear against the deck. Sam Murch and Mani Frers were below deck. After several tacks, they conferred briefly with Magnus Holmberg, and the decision was simple. They would continue sailing, all the while the wind increased to 18-20 knots and the sun set over Valencia.
 
The street lighting in Malvarossa was starting to be lit. “So far, so good,” Killian Bushe said with a big smile. Grinder Sebastian Tenghage’s smile was just as big: “This is really fun.” The load on the equipment increased gradually. “She acts just as we expected and hoped,” Mani Frers said.
 
“Prepare for a long evening,” Magnus Holmberg added. It was now dark. “There is no problem now that we have the light diodes on the instruments,” he said half seriously, half in jest.
 
Later they discussed their impressions of the new boat. One clear improvement over SWE 63 and SWE 73 was that it was possible to sail using the entire waterline of SWE 96. “She sails majestically,” Magnus Holmberg said. 
 
It was 19:30 before SWE 96 once again was back at the Swedish base in the America’s Cup Harbour. ”We have never before sailed when it was this dark,” Holmberg continued.
 
It was a relieved and happy team that set foot on land again. Happy and relieved but also aware that this was only the first of many tests on the road towards the America’s Cup. ”We still have a long way to go,” Killian Bushe said.

Victory Challenge’s challenges the 32nd America’s Cup in partnership with Tele2, Red Bull and MTG. Metro, Viasat och Bet24 are media partners. Sail Racing, LIROS Yacht Ropes, Rutgerson Marin, Pergo and OM Pimespo Ibercarretillas are official suppliers. Suppliers to the team are Sebago, Oakley, Optimus, Fitness First in Valencia and Nordic Sea Hotel in Stockholm.