America’s Cup champion Alinghi helicopters its giant catamaran over the Alps to the sea

Alinghi’s boat flown over Alps to reach the sea

LE BOUVERET, Switzerland — The giant catamaran built by America’s Cup champion Alinghi to defend the trophy was hoisted off Lake Geneva on Friday and flown over the Alps to the sea.

Alinghi 5 was wrapped in a cradle of ropes and tethered to the world’s most powerful helicopter, a Russian MI-26 military transporter.

The 90-foot catamaran was airborne under clear blue skies at 9:10 a.m. local time to begin the journey from its boatyard at Le Bouveret to Genoa on Italy’s Mediterranean coast.

Tracing a route along the Rhone river valley, the multimillion dollar cargo followed the Great St. Bernard Pass across the Alps before a scheduled refueling stop at Biella, Italy. The operation lasted 5 hours, 15 minutes, ending at the Yacht Club Italiano.

Tracing a route along the Rhone river valley, the multimillion dollar cargo followed the Great St. Bernard Pass across the Alps before a scheduled refueling stop at Biella, Italy.

The Swiss-owned, New Zealand-skippered Alinghi is expected to spend four weeks based in Genoa for trials at sea.

“We have had a very good initial trial period on the lake,” skipper Brad Butterworth said. “In Genoa, with a bit more sea room, we will be able to stretch Alinghi 5’s legs.”

Alinghi 5 was launched last month and spent two weeks in trials on landlocked Lake Geneva.

The 33rd America’s Cup will be contested between two-time champion Alinghi and American team BMW Oracle Racing in a best-of-three series off the Persian Gulf port of Ras al-Khaimah in February. BMW Oracle is testing its trimaran in San Diego.

The oldest trophy in sports will be decided in a rare head-to-head grudge match after two years of bitter public arguing and a series of court cases.