When fluid mechanics and hydrodynamics join forces with the sporting prowess of Swiss sailing team Alinghi, you have all the ingredients for an electrifying partnership. The alliance between these two high-tech partners, both leaders in their own domain, was cemented a little over a year ago. But this is no marriage of convenience; it arose out of a meeting of minds. For HYT, an independent watchmaker, the partnership also signals the start of an exciting departure into sports sponsorship.
Alinghi was created in 2000 by Swiss businessman and sailing enthusiast Ernesto Bertarelli. After winning the America’s Cup in 2003 and 2007, the team is now a household name. Alinghi has also won a number of D35 Trophies (2007, 2008, 2009, 2013 and 2014) in the Decision 35 class, several Bols d’Or on Lake Geneva (1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2011) and two seasons of the Extreme Sailing Series (2008 and 2014). It was this latter competition that took me to Cardiff in the company of HYT, for four days’ intensive racing.
The Extreme Sailing Series brings together some of the world’s best teams, competing in eight separate events over ten months, on three continents. For this year’s series, the tenth, teams are battling it out not in the “old” Extreme 40s but in GC32s, high-tech catamarans with 10-metre carbon foils, which can reach heart-stopping speeds and are capable of “flying” in just 8 knots of wind. The Extreme series is not just a major international sailing event, it’s also a spectacular show. Its success is largely due to the fact that races are visible from shore, which makes it easy for spectators to follow. Cardiff has hosted the Extreme Sailing Series for the last five years, and lack of wind has never been a problem. The 2016 event was no exception, with gusts of up to 20 knots on the inshore course. The skills of the crews, faced with the task of reining in their feisty GC32s, were certainly put to the test. The main challenge of the Welsh leg of the series is the size of the course, which is relatively small for the seven boats jockeying for position on the start line. Another factor is the buildings that surround Cardiff Bay; the flukey winds they generate means that the crews have to be constantly on their guard and ready to manoeuvre quickly.
I had the opportunity to join the crew of the GC32 Alinghi in a race, and got a taste of the intensity of the Extreme Sailing Series. Aboard the GC32 were five members of the Alinghi team: Arnaud Psarofaghis (helmsman), Nicolas Charbonnier (tactician and mainsail trimmer), Nils Frei (gennaker trimmer), Yves Detrey (bowman) and Timothé Lapauw (floater). The roar generated by the friction of the foils through the water, and the sensation of flying as the boat rose up out of the water are two memories of this unique experience that will stay with me forever.
Alinghi now stands in second place in the Extreme Sailing Series ranking, just three points behind series leader Oman Air. Act 4 of the circuit takes place from 28 to 31 July in Hamburg.
HYT has created two new models in honour of Ernesto Bertarelli’s team: the H4 Alinghi, which was unveiled when the partnership was announced in 2015, and the recent H2 Alinghi, which accompanied us on our trip to Cardiff. Developed in collaboration with the Swiss team and Audemars Piguet Renaud & Papi, the timepiece is the very first in the H2 collection to feature the black fluid presented at the beginning of the year. And, a historic premiere for HYT, the case is made out of solid titanium. But the innovations don’t stop there: the manual calibre of the H2 is crafted out of two-tone black and grey to match, complemented by black DLC-treated titanium bridges and a rhodium-plated baseplate. The new central minutes hand draws inspiration from marine-style hands. With its V-shaped pistons, three-way crown position indicator (H for hour, N for neutral and R for power reserve), temperature indicator at 9 o’clock and jumping minutes, the H2 Alinghi continues to build on the iconic features that have made the H2 collection so successful.
Furthermore, HYT and Preciflex - HYT’s sister company based in Neuchâtel, which produces the capillaries and fluids used in the brand watches - recently raised the record sum of CHF 23 million. This cash injection will enable HYT to explore new markets; a new branch is due to open in the US this coming September. The company is currently working on developing a new, smaller and thinner movement, which would lead to the production of a more accessible watch (between CHF 25,000 and CHF 30,000) with a smaller diameter.
The company is also currently working on developing a new, smaller and thinner movement, which would lead to the production of a more accessible watch (between CHF 25,000 and CHF 30,000) with a smaller diameter which should pave the way for the use of fluids in more affordably priced watches. However, the technology itself is completely different from the fluid technology found in HYT watches, and could also lend itself to jewellery applications.
Preciflex will also use its windfall to explore the possibilities for using fluid technology in the medical, automobile and cosmetics sectors.
