As the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup team selection trials continued, the next pair of teams completed the two-day training program. Team City Front and Team America Racing went through fitness tests, reviewed film and spent two days on the water learning to sail an AC45. Both were focused on earning one of two spots ORACLE TEAM USA will be guiding through to the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup finals in September 2013.

Team America Racing skipper Charlie Buckingham and Team City Front trimmer Megan Hayes share a bit about their experiences in the program.

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For Team America Racing, arriving at the ORACLE TEAM USA base marked the first time they had gathered as a group. Buckingham explains how the team was formed, what they learned and what both he and the team will be working on moving forward.

OTUSA: Your team hails from various cities around the country. How did the group come together?

CB: I grew up sailing against Jake Reynolds and Jake La Dow – they’re actually a couple years younger than I am. I had also sailed against John Wallace, but never against Graham Landy or Matt Whitehead…but the two Jakes had. They kind of threw the team together and asked me to be a part of it.

OTUSA: What was the biggest difference between the boats you’re used to sailing and the AC45?

CB: I’m not typically a cat sailor, so I guess it was a bit counterintuitive up and downwind. Also, I haven’t sailed with a crew of six in a while, so I wasn’t used to the dynamic and I had to focus a lot more on communication.

OTUSA: You’re also involved in a campaign to earn a spot at the 2016 Olympic Games in the Laser. How have you adjusted your training program for this, and should you earn a spot, how would things change moving forward?

CB: I started doing some cat sailing in Miami before I got here just to get the feel of the boat. If we are selected, I’d do a lot more helming on a cat to get a lot more confident and comfortable with the angles out of jibes and tacks. I think I speak for the whole team when I say that the more confidence we have in our boat handling, the better we’ll do.

OTUSA: What were you most nervous about going into the two-day program?

CB: I had watched a bunch of capsizes in the AC World Series, so I was actually pretty nervous with the bear away around the top mark. I was just hoping I wouldn’t flip.

OTUSA: What was your biggest ah-ha moment?

CB: For me personally, I think it was with my exit angles towards the end of the day. I wasn’t turning quick enough, so once I made the turns quicker, it felt like we were exiting the maneuvers a lot faster. We also made a couple crew switches in terms of roles. We were really inefficient at the beginning, but once we got everybody’s role set, the boat seemed to sail a lot better.

OTUSA: Is there one main thing your team is going to focus on now that you’ve had this experience?

CB: Communication can always get better. And, boat handling – the more confident we get in our boat handling, the more we can do with our tactics and strategy.

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They’re a local team and have grown up sailing on the San Francisco Bay. Hayes, the first female to participate in the team selection trials, explains how Team City Front prepared and how she had a little insight into sailing an AC45.

OTUSA: Your team is comprised of Bay Area residents. How well did you all know each other in advance, and how much time did you spend preparing for this experience?

MH: Most of us have been competing against each other since we were in optis – since around age 8. Also, we have brothers [Finn and Alek Nilsen] on the team, and Antoine [Screeve] and James [Moody] sailed together for five years. Outside of those two pairs, we’ve always been competing and have always seen each other on the water. We knew we could all sail at high levels, so we figured we could be a good team together.

OTUSA: You’ve spent some time around Pier 80. Explain your role with the team and what did you know about sailing an AC45?

MH: Over the summer I was an administrative assistant. It was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. Being around the sailors, I learned a lot about what it takes to be an America’s Cup sailor. And, being around the boats it made it less scary to go out there, and I wasn’t terrified – it was just another boat.

OTUSA: What tips would you now offer someone who may be interested in participating in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup?

MH: When you step on the boat, don’t be nervous. Grab something and start working. You’ll learn by being active on the boat. For people coming into it, hang in there. It’s really tough, but it’s an amazing opportunity.

OTUSA: What were you most nervous about going into the two-day program?

MH: I don’t know if I could pin down one thing; it was everything. Although, my nervousness quickly turned into excitement and I just wanted to get out there.

OTUSA: What was your biggest ah-ha moment?

MH: Before we went out, the team had a Skype session because we’re all in different parts of the Bay Area. We had a playbook of who would fill each role, and literally talked everything out, kind of role-played. Over that session, it was really impressive to see how well we worked together. And, that was followed up by us jumping around doing land drills, and it was incredible – the team just gelled together so well.

OTUSA: Is there one main thing you or your team is going to focus on now that you’ve had this experience?

MH: There’s always fitness, as we’ve learned. Also, our communication is great, but it’s working more on how to sail the boat together.

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The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup team selection trials run through November 20 with six teams participating. Two teams will be identified – one to represent the U.S. and another to represent San Francisco – and will provided coaching and instruction by ORACLE TEAM USA through to the finals in September 2013. All participants are ages 19-24, and six sailors make up each team.

Find more on the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup online or on the event Facebook page.