© Erik Simonson

AYSF gets acquainted with the AC45.

Had you spent any time on the AC45 going into the trials?

Ian: No. In the morning we did a bit of a briefing then spent the next few hours getting the boat rigged up and launched. We had two coaches riding with us--Darren Bundock rotating out with a few of the other guys. So it was trial by fire in a way, but it wasn’t too windy. They were really good about just letting us figure it out and seeing how we did as a team and how we directed ourselves.

Have special rules been developed for you to race the AC45s?

Evan: It’s not too different to the America’s Cup World Series; we’ll be racing on the same courses, and it’ll all be fleet racing. The biggest change is that we’re allowed six people on the boat instead of five--on average we’re a bit lighter than the Cup guys. That has a huge impact on how we handle the boat. It’s still a full-on difficult boat to sail, but one person makes a big difference, and it makes things faster. The extra set of hands is critical if someone needs some relief and you can rotate out.

AYSF during the selection trials. Photo: Erik Simonson

What time will you get training on the AC45s?

Ian: We won't have access to the 45 again until the beginning of March. It looks like we’ll be able to rig up the 45 two or three times a month after that and go sailing for a few days. A lot of the time in between will be spent just being at Pier 80, having access to the coaching with Philippe Presti, working on the boats onshore, working out at the gym there.

What kind of budget will you need?

Ian: Currently our total fiscal goal is $125K--that is the minimum but should cover everything. The rules are that we can’t be paid for this as sailors, so right now it’s on a Corinthian basis. Most of the money will go to ACRM for entry fees, insurance, and damage deposit because we’re essentially chartering the AC45s.

AYSF rigs up the AC45. Photo: Erik Simonson

What's your initial reaction to handling the AC45?

Tommy: It’s quite a lot of work! One of the important things is going to be focusing on our fitness, our stamina and strength. We all knew it was going to be hard work sailing the boat and spent a lot of time in the gym to get ready for this trial period but even so, it was pretty exhausting, and we have a lot of work to do. But once sailing, it was all pretty smooth, and the boat’s set up pretty simply so the main thing for handling the boat will be getting a little heavier, particularly for me, and then improving our strength and stamina to be able to get the boat around the course two or three times a day. Otherwise, it was an exciting experience, and the acceleration is incredible. There’s nothing like doing 26 downwind in 10 knots of wind. It was exciting even just leaving the dock and feeling the acceleration!