It’s never too late to fly foils

What might an octogenarian feel aboard a flying AC75, suspended over the water at 40 knots at the tip of a foil? Certainly not fear or apprehension if his name is Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail around the world solo at the legendary Golden Globe in 1969, which he won.

Sir was invited by another baronet, Ben Ainslie (the most successful Olympic sailor in history), aboard Britannia, the flying bolide with which Ineos Team UK has launched its challenge to the America’s Cup.

He, who has sailed on all kinds of boats, from monohulls (he won the Golden Globe on Suhaili, which he recently restored) to multihulls, prophesied before boarding, “I think this is going to be the fastest sailing experience I will try in my life.”

And indeed. Knox-Johnston, 81 years of age, stood at the stern of the Britannia during the training outing-which had as its ‘goal’ perfecting maneuvers and not achieving maximum speed-and enjoyed it to the end.

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“I think we exceeded 42 knots. I had never in my life climbed above 32. Phenomenal” he stated upon his return.

https://www.facebook.com/INEOSTEAMUK/videos/334161104646473

“When they started in earnest, the feeling was that of being aboard a sports car rather than a boat: it is certainly not this sailing that I am used to. But this America’s Cup is taking our sport to a new level–and how I wish this had happened 50 years ago!“. Words that, spoken by what is considered a living monument of romantic sailing, carry a fair amount of weight.

One thing is certain. Those who “ah… when there were J-Classes” will disagree with him!

E.R.

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