Sailing: America's Cup design race gets underway with new yacht rule
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[March 30, 2018]
By Alexander Smith
LONDON (Reuters) - America's Cup
defenders Emirates Team New Zealand and Italian challenger Luna
Rossa started a race on Thursday to design the "fastest sailing
monohull on earth" with a new set of rules.
The eagerly-awaited publication of the "AC75 Class Rule" by the
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Circolo della Vela Sicilia
defines the parameters for the foiling 75-foot yachts eligible to
compete in the 36th Cup in Auckland in 2021.
While a major change from the futuristic "flying" catamarans in
which Team New Zealand comprehensively defeated Oracle Team USA and
captivated spectators in Bermuda's Great Sound last year, the return
to monohulls represents a massive design and technology challenge
costing hundreds of millions of dollars.
Luna Rossa, the "Challenger of Record" which is backed by Italian
fashion house Prada, and the New York Yacht Club, which will compete
as "American Magic" have both officially entered the competition for
the "Auld Mug".
Britain's Land Rover BAR [TAMOJL.UL], led by Ben Ainslie, is in the
process of preparing its own entry and is making a scale model of
the boat it plans to build to try to win the coveted cup for Britain
for the first time in its 167-year history. Ainslie told Reuters
that his challenge would cost at least 100 million pounds ($140
million).
"We have done a great job containing costs on certain aspects, while
leaving the rule open enough for the America’s Cup to continue as
the driving force of innovation and technology in sailing," Dan
Bernasconi, Design Coordinator for Emirates Team New Zealand
[EMIRA.UL], said in a statement.
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Emirates Team New Zealand leads Oracle Team USA on the way to
winning the America's Cup in Bermuda - June 26, 2017. REUTERS/Mike
Segar/File Photo
Designers and builders from the teams will now dissect the details
of the rule and have a year to work on their plans before they can
officially launch their individual yachts.
The rule includes strict limitations on the number of components
that can be built by each team including hulls, masts, rudders,
foils and sails.
This would encourage teams to use simulation rather than physical
design and testing to complete R&D, Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa
said in a joint statement.
"The (rule) sets the parameters for the teams to develop and race
the fastest sailing monohull on earth," said Martin Fischer, Design
Coordinator for Luna Rossa Challenge.
(Editing by Ed Osmond)
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