Surf Legend Kai Lenny Cuts Waves With Alinghi Red Bull Racing
Known for his prowess in big-wave riding and pioneering countless water sports, Kai Lenny's visit to the Alinghi Red Bull Racing base introduced him to a new realm on the water as he sailed the team's cutting-edge hydrofoil yachts.
Providing hydraulic power as a cyclor onboard the AC75 BoatOne, Lenny experienced firsthand the immense power and speed of these technological marvels, which travel upwards of 100km/h. "Every turn you make, whether it's a tack or a gybe, the g-force pulling you around makes it feel like you're in a Formula One car," he said. "There's nothing like it. Compared to other wind sports, it's like going from go-karts to Formula One."
The surf champion, who regularly rides 80-foot waves, had his sailing skills put to the test when he took control of the AC40. After some challenging preparation in the high-tech simulator, his natural instincts kicked in once on the water. "To be able to go 40 knots downwind, it's just an insane feeling," Lenny enthused. "The only other place I get to go over 40 knots is on a giant wave and that happens only a couple times a year."
Not one to miss an opportunity, Lenny brought out his wing foil for a session alongside the AC75. It was a stark contrast in size and speed, as he described: "When you're winging, you feel like a chicken and then a tiger comes running past you. BoatOne is so much faster, probably almost three times the speed of what I'm doing on the wing."
Alinghi Red Bull Racing helmsman Maxime Bachelin was thrilled to share the water with the Hawaiian surf icon: "We all know Kai Lenny is a legend of watersports. He was one of the first to do wing foiling – and many of us on the team are wing foilers too – so seeing him do backflips and tricks next to us was quite incredible."
Beyond the thrill of sailing, Lenny was fascinated by the design and technology aspects of the America's Cup campaign. "I take a lot of inspiration when I come here," he noted. "These campaigns attract the smartest people in the world to design and manufacture the boat. When you bring the two worlds of athletes and designers together, you can create greatness."
The visit was a unique opportunity for both Lenny and the Alinghi Red Bull Racing team to learn from each other. As the first guest to be invited onto both the AC40 and AC75, Lenny's experience at the Base bridged the worlds of sailing and surfing, offering inspiration to the Swiss team as they prepare for the upcoming race season.
EXTRA QUOTES
Kai Lenny, Water Sports Champion: "I never thought I'd ever be able to do something like this. To be given the chance to actually do it, it's a bucket list thing. I was nervous, it was a bit scary, but it was a 10 out of 10 experience and I'll remember this forever. You get onto the fastest sailboats on earth with the best sailors in the world and you're able to experience something on the water that's so unique. You feel like you're in a jet plane. It almost no longer feels like sailing, it feels like flying. That's always been my favourite thing about water sports and all these beach toys like windsurfing, kiting, winging and foiling. You can harness the wind, ride across the water, feel the swells with the foils, but you're also flying and the dream is to always be flying. The art of flight is always something on our minds as humans."
Maxime Bachelin, Helmsman, Alinghi Red Bull Racing: "Kai was a really great crew member. Onboard it was just like being out on a normal training day, and it was really inspiring to see how quickly he picked everything up. Hand his experience in water sports clearly gave him the edge onboard in understanding the dynamics of the boat. To have one of the world's best watermen here with us, we were really happy to share our world with him and everything we're doing on the AC75."