icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
28 Nov, 2012 07:15

Esimit Europa 2 aiming at America’s Cup

After winning everything in the Mediterranean, Europe’s Esimit Europa 2 are looking for new challenges, including the 2013 America’s Cup and organizing a global regatta of their own.

Esimit Europa 2, a unique boat, is sailing for Europe and representing the very best the continent has to offer.

The boat employs cutting-edge technology combined with the best sailors from eight European countries acting as one team.

They promote the idea of European unity in perhaps the best way possible – winning race after race.“You can imagine eight different mentalities, eight different languages, cultures, but working together for one goal,” Igor Simcic, Estimit Europa project founder, told RT. “And that is basically the way the whole European continent must think in the future.”

Back in 1995, project founder Igor Simcic had a flash of inspiration and by 2010 it reached its pinnacle, with the launch of their second vessel, Esimit Europa 2.

Since then, the magnificent boat has been unbeaten. The multicultural crew, led by three-time Olympic champion and two-time America's Cup winner Jochen Shumann, has won every race they've taken part in.

Esimit Europa 2 has also collected plenty of course records on the way, although the drive to achieve more is always there.“Everybody knows that in front of us is always another step,” Simcic explained. “And only the best of the best can go for this – further step. And this is the biggest motivation for them.”

After dominating in the Mediterranean for two years, 2013 will present new challenges for Simcic and his men, including the North Sea, sailing up the Thames in the heart of London and the chance to taste victory at the America's Cup, which will be held in California.

But what about another of the sport's most prestigious competitions – the Volvo Ocean race?

“They have all the boats the same. And that's not really our way of doing it,” Estimit Europa’s project founder said. “Because we want to be personalized even in terms of technology, but not just the team and strategy. We are investing a lot in technologies and this is the future of sailing. It's not just about developing the team… but developing how to do it…how to make the boat faster.”

For Simcic, it is also about developing new competitions as one way to take sailing to a higher level.“We must make something new,” he stressed. “And why not a European Cup? Making races between continents… This could be a very big fight on the sea from the technological and sailors point. And we can say, it could bring this globe together with one regatta.”

It’s a potential race Esimit and its crew would feel relatively confident in.

“The vision,” Simicic said. "We know how to do it. It's just like if you have a very fast boat, very good sailors, but you go in the wrong way – having the right vision, you go fast and in the right way. And I think, we're going in the right way.”

Podcasts
0:00
23:13
0:00
25:0