America's Cup racing is hard work for everyone on the finely tuned yachts. JULIE ASH meets the man who keeps the Swiss team at peak fitness.
Details of a 24-hour grinding competition are written on the whiteboard in the gym of Swiss syndicate Alinghi.
It sounds like the contest from hell ... but it is just a joke that Alinghi trainer and physiotherapist Xavier Jolis played on his team.
"They didn't believe me anyway," he laughs.
Jolis, who was born in France and now lives in Switzerland, is in charge of dealing with the crew's aches and pains, and ensuring they are fit and strong enough to handle the demands of America's Cup racing.
Working for Alinghi is a big change from Jolis' former job, in which he kept Formula One motor racing champion Michael Schumacher in shape.
"Some people say I am crazy to leave a job like that," Jolis said.
"But I like new challenges, and it is a big difference to go from training one person to training more than 30. Also, Alinghi is a very nice project."
His association with Schumacher came after he helped the driver to recover from a broken leg in 1999.
"I helped him with his rehabilitation at his home in Switzerland. After the rehabilitation, we did some fitness work and he asked me to continue training him."
Schumacher, Jolis said, was easy to work with.
"He liked sport and it was very important for him to be fit and strong. For him to win, the car needs to be ready and he needs to be ready.
"When you are fit your mind is strong. When Michael is driving he never lacks precision or gets tired of driving because his fitness is so good."
Alinghi's fitness programme was created by Swiss trainer Jean Pierre Egger, a former trainer for the French basketball team and Swiss Olympic shot putter Werner Gunthor.
Jolis worked with Egger in Switzerland and was given the job of implementing the programme when the team moved to Auckland last year.
"It is a great job," Jolis said, even if he is not the world's most popular man every morning at 6 o'clock when he is pushing the team harder and harder in the gym.
"The days are very long.
"They come to the gym first thing in the morning and then are out sailing all day. It can be very tiring."
Because positions on the boat vary so much, the crew are divided into two teams for training.
"With the grinders we are looking for strength," Jolis said.
"For the afterguard and other crew, we need them to be light and flexible.
"I think the grinders are the engine. We focus a lot on the strength of the grinders."
A month from the start of the challenger series, Jolis said training was still an important part of the team's daily routine, but the focus now was on maintaining fitness and avoiding injuries.
The need to avoid injuries has meant some of the team have had to "review" their leisure activities.
"Some guys go mountain biking at Woodhill Forrest and try to jump trees - we have some crazy guys," he said.
"We don't want to stop them, as these people do these sort of things all the time. They just have to be sensible."
Jolis said he would be more than happy to continue working with Alinghi.
"I like this job and I like this team, and I know how passionate they are about doing well."
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From fast cars to a hard grind
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