Nico Stahlberg has a long history as a professional athlete competing for Switzerland in the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games as well as claiming the 2017 FISA World Rowing Cup title in the Mx1 class, but did not turn his attention to sailing until he was 26-years-old, making him fairly new to the sport.

Nico says that he first became hooked on sailing whilst training for four months in Australia. “I was training at the Melbourne Rowing Club and on my bike ride along the beach I always saw sailboats playing with the wind. Through a friend I was offered the chance to help a team out at a regatta with the grinding – and then it happened – I was infected by the passion for this sport!”

As part of the Power Group for Alinghi Red Bull Racing, it’s Nico’s job to supply the energy for, as he puts it, “the guys who know how to sail fast.”

As a proud Swiss man, when Nico heard that Alinghi Red Bull Racing were returning to the America's Cup, he needed to be part of that team. "I saw Alinghi win the 32nd America's Cup and knew about the strength and usefulness of the rowers. When Alinghi announced the comeback, I had to take the chance,” he explained.

He also added that he is now in the lucky position of being surrounded by great and skilled people. “It’s something I would never have dreamed of. It fills me with pride to be part of one of the best teams in the world at the highest level of sport.”