Sailing duo Vilma Bobeck and Rebecca Netzler got no break after the OS silver in 49er. Instead, they went directly to Barcelona where the rest of the team around Artemis Technologies had been in place for several months to load up for the very first America's Cup for women.
And now Bobeck and Netzler, together with Julia Gross and Ida Svensson, are clear for Friday's semifinal.
I back our team every day of the week, but it's tough competition and very short races. It's about being on and taking opportunities, which isn't obvious, says Bobeck.
I think we have very good chances, but then we have to show when it counts, you don't get anything for free in this competition.
Flying ahead
The Swedish team also includes reserves Felicia Fernström and Lovisa Karlsson. Karlsson took bronze in the OS together with Anton Dahlberg in 470.
In the America's Cup, the girls compete in an AC40 boat. A more than double-sized boat compared to the two-man boats 49er and 470.
The biggest difference is that it goes on foils, so it actually flies ahead over the water. It's three-dimensional and a lot to learn, says Bobeck.
A very special thing is that there's a helmsman and a trimmer on each side. Communication is really put to the test, we don't see the whole playing field. It's a challenge and something we've focused very much on.
As a woman, getting to compete in perhaps the biggest professional competition of all, the America's Cup, is huge, thinks Vilma Bobeck.
It means so much to be able to show that we can actually sail these high-tech boats and perform at a very high level of competence. It was really about time, she says.
I hope this is a step, that the world gets to see that we girls can be just as good as the guys and that it leads to many job opportunities afterwards.
Want to be able to live on sailing
She dreams of being able to live on sailing. And the biggest dream is:
To compete in the big America's Cup, regardless of whether you're a girl or a guy.
The goal for the week is anyway to make it to the final on Sunday. After that, the calendar is pretty empty.
First, I'll take a break and figure out what I want to do next. I'm not done with sailing, but we'll see what kind of sailing it becomes.
About a new OS effort, she says:
I don't promise, but it's absolutely not ruled out.
