Bermudian Emily Nagel, a member of Team BDA in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup next year, had the ultimate sailing adventure recently when she sailed from New York to Bermuda at high speed and in treacherous conditions with waves up to 25 feet.

Nagel was part of Team Falcon for an adventure that started in ideal foiling condition on November 5. However, the conditions over the next couple of days were anything but calm for some of the world’s best sailors aboard the 46ft foiling catamaran which had to fight 35-knot winds and unexpected conditions over 66 hours and three nights during the 662-mile open-ocean Atlantic voyage.

Led by Jimmy Spithill, the Oracle Team USA skipper who is a two-times America’s Cup champion, the Team Falcon crew also included Shannon Falcone, of Antigua, Rome Kirby, from Newport, Rhode Island, Tommy Loughborough of Singapore, and Cy Thompson, of the US Virgin Islands.

Nagel described it as an experience of a lifetime.

“I couldn’t quite believe I was on a boat with the Oracle Team USA guys and Shannon,” Nagel said. “The learning curve of getting to sail with people with that kind of experience is just incredible.

“I learnt so much about foiling and about offshore sailing. That, and just to experience it all because I’d never really done any serious offshore sailing. The first day was glamour, with perfect foiling conditions that allowed us to foil into the night.

“The next two days brought a severe sea state. There were some nerve-racking moments — being able to trust my team-mates was vital and allowed me to stay calm and focused.”

Spithill lives for that type of challenge on the water and got to experience conditions at their worst. “We went from pushing the boat for performance into survival mode,” the Australian said.

“I wanted to push myself mentally and physically farther than I’ve ever gone before because the America’s Cup next year will be tougher and harder-fought, and more unpredictable than anything I have ever experienced. It was exactly what I needed to really test myself under extreme conditions.

“It’s only then, when the stress and fatigue levels climb so high, and you need to make the right calls as a skipper, that you push yourself and your development. Ultimately, this will help me be a better sailor next year when the America’s Cup is on the line.”

Aboard the 46ft F4, Team Falcon faced a complex stretch of ocean that turned treacherous, affected by the Gulf Stream and always-changing Atlantic currents. The adverse weather, and unpredictability of navigation and communication in the open ocean, added to the challenge of managing the boat’s finite energy supply.

“These were the biggest waves I’ve faced in a multihull and hopefully I don’t ever have to experience that again,” Spithill said. “Given how big the sea state was building and predicted to build, it was very concerning. Being responsible for the crew and boat, I knew we were going to be in for a long 48 hours.

“At night we didn’t have a moon, so it was very difficult trying to get through this. Some of the waves were breaking, which made it very challenging and extremely dangerous, and we had a few close calls at night.”

The result of an eight-month engineering collaboration, Team Falcon sailed on the first 46ft hydrofoiling catamaran that was specifically produced for the open ocean. The boat reaches extremely high speeds and lifts off the surface of the water, literally hovering a few feet over swells on innovative foils.

The mission had been postponed several times by a hurricane, gale-force winds and other nasty conditions.

Born from the vision of Falcone, an open ocean adventurer and former team-mate of Spithill and Rome Kirby on Oracle, the mission set out to prove that sustained foiling in the open ocean on a multihull is here for the avid sailor and adventure seeker, powered by wind, innovation and efficiency.

On departure, light winds quickly filled into a nearly ideal westerly flow of 15 to 18 knots. “Foiling out of Manhattan all the way to the Gulf Stream was awesome,” Spithill said.

“It really proved this is the way forward in terms of performance and development. If the weather had stayed as forecast, we would have had a very fast trip to Bermuda.”

The team reached the Gulf Stream on Saturday evening, but the headaches came Sunday morning when a new low pressure system formed rapidly. As the team departed the Gulf Stream, they reported 25-knot winds and almost seven-foot waves — both well over what was projected.

The F4 eventually reported winds between 35 and 40 knots, with 20 to 25ft waves. Safety remained the top priority, so minimal sails were deployed and progress was exceptionally slow. As had been the case for 24 hours, there was nowhere to go but towards Bermuda. When the team arrived early last Tuesday morning, conditions remained fierce.

“You always see the best team and people in the worst situation,” Spithill said. “This team was amazing. For Cy and Emily, who had limited ocean sailing, I was impressed how they kept a cool head throughout the tough conditions.

“They have bright futures ahead of them. I also pushed myself in terms of leadership. In what it takes to skipper in exceptionally challenging, unpredictable conditions — exactly the skills I’ll need next year in The America’s Cup.”

• To learn more about the F4, Team Falcon and a Red Bull profile on Emily Nagel, visit www.redbull.com/FlyingOnWater