Sailing
Lindsey Vonn Flies on Water With Oracle Team USA
Find out what happens when the star skier trains with the winner of the 33rd and 34th America's Cup.
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She never takes things too seriously
© Sam Greenfield and Riccardo Pinto/Red Bull Content Pool
NEW YORK — “If I go on, I don’t want to just sit there.”
Those were the words of skiing superstar Lindsey Vonn, who joined America's Cup champion Oracle Team USA on board its foiling AC45 catamaran Thursday afternoon in New York. The team held its final training session for the second stop of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series 2016.
Invited by skipper Jimmy Spithill, the skier took over the grinder position as the boat flew on the Hudson River in front of the Statue of Liberty. The AC45 catamaran can sail up to 41 knots, or 45 mph — faster than the speed limit on Manhattan streets.
"I was nervous because I did not want to mess up," Vonn told RedBull.com. "But then as I got comfortable, I started asking to do more things to challenge myself. I got to do some grinding and I put the foils down. You can tell visually that you are rising out of the water on the foils. An incredible experience.”
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Lindsey Vonn Sailing With Oracle Team USA
Lindsey Vonn Sailing With Oracle Team USA
Two of the greats at their sports join forces
© Sam Greenfield and Riccardo Pinto/Red Bull Content Pool
Vonn's performance impressed Spithill. "She really had a fire to be a part of the team and wanted us to push her," he said. "She has a lot of power, and as a skipper, I felt comfortable giving her control of positions on the boat.”
Vonn, one of the greatest ever to hit the slopes, is training for next season and enjoyed experiencing something new in a different sport.
She has a lot of power, and as a skipper, I felt comfortable giving her control of positions on the boat.
“I was bummed that we didn’t get a chance to race side by side against another team because I wanted to talk trash,” she said.
Vonn added, “Needing to be aware of what's around you is a big similarity between sailing and skiing. In both sports, we are analyzing wind, speed and race boundaries. People may not realize how many real-time adjustments these guys are making."
Lindsey Vonn hard at work with Oracle Team USA
© Sam Greenfield and Riccardo Pinto/Red Bull Content Pool
Lady Liberty presiding over action in the water
© Sam Greenfield and Riccardo Pinto/Red Bull Content Pool
Thursday's session was a preview to America's Cup racing coming to New York Harbor for the first time in almost a century. The multi-day sailing event begins Saturday, featuring the world's best sailors, racing the fastest boats, in front of the city that never sleeps.
“The scariest part was when I was hanging off the side with tactician Tom Slingsby and our velcro foot strap broke. Tom said he almost went over, but I was hanging on pretty good.”
Vonn, always one to seek out an adventure, is no stranger to water sports.
“I love water sports, and coming from Minnesota, I spent a lot of time on Lake Minnetonka. Over the years, I’ve been tubing, water-skiing, stand-up paddle boarding, surfing, spear fishing and wakeboarding. Even blew my ear drums out several times. Generally, I spent more time in the water versus on top of the water in boats, so this was an eye-opening experience.”
A picturesque backdrop for a sailing session
© Sam Greenfield and Riccardo Pinto/Red Bull Content Pool
Teamwork makes the dream work
© Photo by Sam Greenfield and Riccardo Pinto/Red Bull Content Pool
Six teams, each sailing on behalf of a home country, will compete this weekend, vying for points that count toward the final competition for the 35th America's Cup in Bermuda in 2017. Bermuda also is the home of the Red Bull Youth America's Cup, showcasing the young guns of sailing.
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