And here it is… the big reveal of the next edition of the America’s Cup Class boat.
The concept for the AC75, the class of boat for the 36th America’s Cup has finally been made known.
Like the catamarans raced at the America’s Cup in June, the futuristic-looking, 75-foot long boats have wing-like foils attached to the hull that will lift them out of the water when they accelerate to reduce drag and increase speed.
“When sailing at speed it will get up on the foils so the hull is completely out of the water, just like how the AC50 catamarans were,” Team New Zealand design co-ordinator Dan Bernasconi said, referring to the boats raced in Bermuda, during a radio interview on Monday.
“That allows for much higher speeds than a conventional monohull,” he said.
“It’s early days but we think that when the boat is up and foiling its got the potential to be even quicker than the AC50 cats were.”
In an effort to make the boats safer, the Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa design teams said the boats would be able to right themselves in the event of a capsize.
The design teams are also looking at a number of potential innovations for the AC75’s rig and will release details on that before March 31 next year.
“We’re really excited about the concept and can’t wait to see it on the water,” Bernasconi said.
New Zealand crushed the U.S. at the America’s Cup in June with a stunning 7-1 victory in Bermuda’s Great Sound to capture international sport’s oldest trophy.
It will be interesting to see the response from the die-hard fans and the Americas Cup sailing veterans. There will be a mixed response, for sure.
Watch this space….
Extracts from Reuters.com
