In icy temperatures, Santa, together with America’s Cup sailor Christian Scherrer, took the first blu26 out for its maiden sail on Lake Sempach today. The blu26 is an 8-metre Sportboat, which has been designed by NAVAL DESIGN in collaboration with bluboats for both Match Racing and Fleet Racing in Switzerland.
Over the coming month, Santa will be replaced by Swiss top sailors. The bluboats team have invited Alinghi crew members Nils Frei and Yves Detrey, Olympic Star sailor Flavio Marrazzi and the highest ranked Swiss match racer Eric Monnin to test the boat.
The aim is to give the prototype the best possible trial and to get feedback. Thebluboats-team sees the prototype as a great test lab. The blu26 not only profits from the know-how of Scherrer, who won this year’s World Match Racing Championship with Peter Gilmour, but also from other top sailors. “We don’t want to reinvent the wheel,” sails Scherrer before the first test sail. “Our aim, together with the best Swiss sailors, is to produce a great boat for the Swiss sailing community.”
Following trials, the completed boat will be presented to the public at the National Boatshow ‘Suisse Nautic’ in February in Bern.
bluboats wishes you a Merry Christmas and a happy 2007!