Desafío Español is back on the water

[Source: Desafío Español] The crew of Desafío Español for the 33rd America's Cup sailed for the first time on board ESP 97 on Friday afternoon. This was the first practice following the end of the 32nd America's Cup in July and the goal was to calibrate and trim again ESP 97, the boat that achieved the best result for a Spanish team in America's Cup history.

Before docking out, the crew had an appointment at the Complejo Deportivo-Cultural La Petxina of Valencia to do some medical tests. These tests were conducted "to discard any cardiovascular pathology", explained the doctor of Desafío Español, Pablo Díaz-Munio, who also added: "if the results of these tests are positive it means that their performance on board will be better". At the end of the month, "grinders and other sailors who grind on board as the pitman or the mid bowman will do a grinder test", confirmed Pablo Díaz-Munio.

Desafío Español's ESP-97 is back on the water for the first time in the 33rd America's Cup. Valencia, 5 October 2007. Photo copyright Desafío Español