America’s Cup 2024: Olivia Price, Cole Tapper to lead Women’s, Youth crew on Barcelona mission
Some have been fierce rivals for almost two decades but this Olympian is tasked with turning a crew of old combatants into one of the best teams in world sailing at the America’s Cup.
It’s almost as important as tactical ability and feel – packing away emotional baggage and forgiving and forgetting to make an unforgettable impact at the most prestigious sailing event in the world.
It’s now part of the new job description for two-time Olympian Olivia Price as skipper of the Australian women’s team competing in the 2024 Americas Cup extravaganza.
Price, a London silver medallist who finished ninth in the 49erFX at the Paris Games, and Sydney match-racing champion Cole Tapper have been named to lead Australia into battle at the Women’s and Youth America’s Cup regattas for the first time.
The AC40s to be raced have two helms on the port and starboard side of the super-fast foiling machine and a trimmer behind both drivers.
Price will be on one helm with the likes of former Rio and Tokyo Olympian Lisa Darmanin a trimmer in the pod behind. 49erFX teammates Laura Harding and Annie Wilmot are options on the others side with other squad members including Zoe Thomson, Nina Curtis and Sarah Hoffman.
“Sailing is a small sport and we all have history, racing together or against each other and someone is alway left disappointed ,” said Price, involved in a fierce and close battle with Harding and Wilmot for the Paris Olympic women’s skiff spot.
“It’s about building a culture where we can move past heated exchanges, heat of the moment things and it’s not personal.
“Laura and I competed for the same Olympic spot and it was a combative environment.
“We then sat down and talked and said, ‘right, we are moving on from that now’.
“Part of this is about finding the characters who can do that and move past the emotional baggage.
“The squad dynamic and environment we create is very much focused on bettering the team but representing both yourself and the team with pride.”
Aside from team building prowess, Price also has team match-racing experience, winning a silver medal the last time the discipline was raced in the Olympics back in 2012 off Weymouth.
“Match racing at the starts, I can’t wait,’’ Price said.
“It’s like match-racing on steroids with six boats and all about exploiting positions, figuring out who is attacking and defending, the fun stuff.’’
Match racing tactics will be crucial for the starting success of teams in the two regattas with Tapper also well versed in the sailing discipline and a silver medallist in the 2023 world youth match racing titles.
“A big thing is we want to perform and create a the pathway for Australian youth and women sailors in the future,’’ said Tapper, whose squad mates include Queenslander Tom Needham and Sydney quartet Jack Ferguson, Max Paul, Miles Davey and George Richardson.
“We want to bring back Australian sailors under the one flag.’’
Sailor John Winning Jnr’s Andoo company is backing the two Australian crews as he investigates the feasibility and interest in an Australian crew rejoining the America’s Cup proper after a long absence from the famous competition Australia II won back in 1983.
Australia will initially race in a pool of six invited teams in the Youth regatta from September 17-26, in-between flights of the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenge series.
Other invited teams are the host nation Spain, the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Canada.
In a separate pool before the crossover are the teams associated with the six America’s Cup defender and challengers - Team New Zealand, Athena Pathway, Alinghi Red Bull Racing, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, NYYC American Magic and Orient Express Racing Team.
These later teams have had long term access to the AC40s being raced in Barcelona while the Australian group has had either none or limited time on the foiling boats so will be on the backfoot despite a series of practice days where they will get their hands on the racing machines prior to their events.
The Women’s regatta runs from October 5-10 before a final match race on October 13 in between flights of the 37th Americas Cup match.
“We’ve only limited time to figure things out and we have to do it quickly,’’ Price said.
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