Over the last couple of years Andy Soriano’s Alegre team have really established themselves as potential regatta winners as well as being a programme which has all the talent, the hardware and the experience to finish the 2022 season with a podium position overall.
Last season saw them finish fifth overall on the end of season leader board but only 11 points shy of Sled’s circuit winning aggregate. They were contenders to win in Menorca, a regatta they dominated from the off before finishing runners up to Platoon by just two points.
Among the changes they have made for this season is a new keel fin which may well have contributed to the very good all round speeds they showed in training in Valencia in April.
After standing in in Palma last year at the Rolex TP52 World Championship, Italian Francesco Mongelli will be Alegre’s navigator this season whilst Francesco de Angelis will be in the coach boat for the multinational team, the core of which has been together for many years.
“Last year it felt like we kind of turned a corner I think. We feel like we can compete equally with the very top teams much more often, that is for a various different reasons I don’t think there was just one or two things, but now we just need to go out there and do it more often and sustain it over the season.”
Suggests Alegre’s Swedish project manager Sebastien Tenghage.
Of the new fin, which was something of a closely guarded secret prior to the Valencia training and is a direction others have chosen, Tenghage admits.
“It is quite simple really, we are looking for extra speed. Just like everyone is in this fleet. Every metre, every half a metre counts here and so when Botin (the designers) had their proposal then we went for it. The boat was going well for sure in Valencia, it felt nice and we were able to stay up there and be competitive. We feel like we have caught up what maybe we were lacking before. Now we just need to try to be consistent. Everyone is always fighting to find anything extra. Maybe we have a small edge in some areas but it really has tightened up.”
Of recruiting Louis Vuitton Cup winning skipper- helm and former Luna Rossa coach de Angelis, the Alegre project manager says,
“His experience is invaluable but he has a good eye for everything, looking at the afterguard, the crew, sails he gives another valuable perspective from off the boat.”
And of their targets for the season the former Swedish ice hockey pro Tenghage is direct:
“ We want to be in there fighting for top positions, fighting for the podium finishes, fighting to win. We have to sail sharp and cut out mistakes.”
Meantime the Alegre crew are looking forwards to the first events of the season,
“In particular we are excited about going to Baiona and also back to Cascais. I think we feel good in the Atlantic and the breeze.”
Concludes Tenghage.
