Here’s a little-known fact: it’s not just the pros that get to be on board the boats during the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series races.
The lead singer of legendary pop rock band Duran Duran, Simon Le Bon was one of the lucky few who got a spot on board the Land Rover BAR AC45 yacht during the second race of the recent America's Cup World Series event in Portsmouth, which Land Rover BAR won.
In the video below, just released by the British America’s Cup Challenger Land Rover BAR, Simon Le Bon describes his experience as a guest on board.
While certainly thrilling, it’s not the most glamorous of seats and not for the faint of heart – the singer had to literally lie down at the back of the yacht and out of the way of the racing team to enjoy his ride.
But, as a Whitbread Round the World sailor, Simon Le Bon is well acquainted with the sport of sailing. So how did the high-octane, high-speed racing that is the new-style America’s Cup competition compare to his previous experience?
“It’s just full-on, it never stops,” Simon Le Bon says in a video interview.
Le Bon goes on to praise the British team, led by Sir Ben Ainslie, saying, “They are so fit! And it’s a good job the race is only half an hour long, because any more than that and you would just explode! Because the concentration and physical effort is absolutely full-on the whole time. I really enjoyed it.”
The format of the America’s Cup racing also allows for some interesting competition, as Le Bon notes BAR went from fifth place to second place during the second race. “It was magnificent”, he surmises.