AmericA’s cup Taking the sport to a broader audience is at the heart of the new plans. Minimising delays to racing What will an AC72 look like? Wingsail or soft sails: the AC72 forms one of the cornerstones of The next generation of America’s Cup boats will be catamarans designed to a tight class rule allows for wingsail Wind the new-style Cup. According to box rule and weighing just one third the weight of their monohull predecessors, and soft sail options to promote Cup heads in radical Coutts, to achieve this, boats would yet flying considerably more sail area with top speeds above 30 knots. racing through a broad range of need to be sailed at more reliable conditions venues over a wider wind range, LOA 22.00m 72ft from three to 33 knots and courses Beam 14.00m 46ft n The n needed to be easier to set up and Displacement 5,700kg 12,500lb Ease of assembly: the AC72 can O new direction change to suit the weather. All-up weight 7,000kg 15,500lb be assembled in two days and Wingmasted cats and a World Series? It’s the most ambitious shake-up yet in the Wingsail area 260m2 2,800ft2 disassembled in one to two days world’s oldest international sporting trophy, but at what price? Matthew Sheahan Inspiring to young sailors Wingsail height 40m 130ft to accommodate the shipping The boats themselves need to be Wingsail chord 8.5m 28ft schedule for the America’s Cup reports on the major changes for the next America’s Cup exciting to watch, demanding to Crew 11 World Series events sail and inspirational for younger Sail trimming No mechanically powered systems he 34th America’s Cup will be More varied legs, including generations of sailors. A promise of Sail area reduction Removable top sections/leech elements Power source: engines are held in 2013 using 72ft reaches, shorter first beats, wider top speeds in excess of 30 knots by Appendages Maximum of 2 rudders, 2 daggerboards banned, but electrically driven wingmasted catamarans, the wind ranges and even marks that Pete Melvin, designer of the new valves to control the wingsail Tfirst of which will be launched in double as spectator platforms are classes and expert multihull sailor, might be permitted January 2012. Under plans outlined among the ideas on the table for helped to drive home the message in the new Protocol, boats will race the next America’s Cup cycle. that the new Cup fleet will be very AC45 – the little sister in an America’s Cup World Series of different from the monohull with attitude seven international regattas during Fairest Cup ever? leadmines of the past. This strict one-design will be 2012 and three in 2013 before the It is being presented as the most The issue of campaign costs was raced by Challengers during Cup Match itself. The specific profound change in the history of Russell Coutts, CEO also at the top of the list of major 2011. Designed as a stepping venues, including that of the the event and the fairest Protocol of the Defender considerations. In an attempt to stone towards the AC72 and Match, have yet to be announced. ever. BMW Oracle CEO Russell BMW Oracle, wants make the event more affordable for fitted with a solid wingsail, During the 2011 season, the Coutts explains that the process of to make the Cup teams, crew numbers would be this boat is currently being World Series will be contested by transforming the Cup is about “fit for the future” reduced from 17 to 11 (on the AC72), tooled in New Zealand. challenging teams in one-design making it “fit for the future”. the number of weather and support The first boat is due for 45ft cats, also with wingmasts, in “We could have just pressed the boats would be limited and there launch and trials in a series of three international reset button,” he says. “But when we would be blackout periods for December. The fleet is regattas. These boats will sat down and went through the testing. Coutts’s team claim that expected to be ready subsequently be used for a Youth numbers following the 32nd budgets for a multihull option for June 2011. America’s Cup. Tooling for the AC45 America’s Cup, the commercial and would be “20 per cent less than for a is currently under construction in media returns fell short. For many similar-sized monohull”. New Zealand with the first boat due years, the cost of competing in the Still, at a quoted €45-100 million for launch and testing by America’s Cup has been way out of the cost of competing in the 34th Challengers in December. The balance with the return.” America’s Cup could prove to be 8 season’s fleet will be ready for the World Series in June 2011, which is expected to start in Europe. What do insiders think? DeAn BArker – emirates Team new Zealand Grand-prix shake-up “Oracle have made the decision and we have to live by it. The radical plans for the next We might not agree with it, but we want to be part of America’s Cup so it’s America’s Cup, which were unveiled a new challenge for everyone” at BMW Oracle’s base in Valencia in September, not only mark the biggest change for the world’s Bruno TrouBle – Founder of louis Vuitton Cup Who’s behind the rule? oldest international sporting “ “I feel very positive. Russell is a magician and there is not much to criticise. trophy, but could also play a major The AC72 Class Rule was drafted by a The whole package is very clever and may survive the next America’s Cup group of consultants, chaired by Pete part in reshaping the future of grand-prix yacht racing. cycle, which is essential for the community. Melvin, on behalf of US Sailing. Melvin, BMW Oracle Racing and the “We will see a lot of newcomers the way we did when we changed from the 12-metre formerly a designer of aircraft for the to the IACC boats in 1991. This always happens when a new class is launched” McDonnell Douglas Corp, is a champion Construction materials and methods: Golden Gate Yacht Club have come limits on high-modulus carbon fibre for up with plans that go way beyond multihull sailor, having twice won the A “ Class Catamaran World Championship. Rudders and daggerboards: the rule hull construction. The class rule outlines a simple new propulsion unit for a Tom WhIDDen – north Sails The catamaran will be able to fly a hull limits these to a maximum of four a minimum outside skin weight of multihull, which in itself would “I applaud what they’ve done;, as far as moving the game on and increasing 2 underwater appendages, two rudders 600g/m , similar to other racing boats have been a big step for the Cup. the appeal of sailing, I think it’s a good idea. The new format will mean we in five to six knots true. Target boatspeeds and two daggerboards. To reduce costs, of that size. Core materials may either This radical shake-up of courses make fewer soft sails, that’s for sure, but there will be soft sails to build. in winds under ten knots were set at 1.2 times the true windspeed upwind and standardised, one-design daggerboards be foam or honeycomb. High-modulus and the way racing will be Will wing technology find its way into other areas of racing? I used to say no, but 1.6 times true windspeed downwind. are being considered carbon will be allowed in the wingsail conducted has left teams with an now I think the trickle-down is inevitable given the attention the Cup will generate” exciting, but daunting challenge. “ GBR Team Langdon/Skandia R Cameron/ETNZ; C Photos: 18 YACHTING WORLD NOVEMBER 2010 YACHTING WORLD NOVEMBER 2010 19 CouTTS on The neW Cup BMW Oracle’s CEO Russell Coutts explains the thinking behind the plans Wind What was your starting point? What about the AC45? “I was asked what wins the America’s Cup. “This is the Cup boat’s little sister with Without even thinking, I said a fast boat. attitude! It is a launch pad class and will This was the first indication to me that help to fast-track sailors into the sport.” n The n there wasn’t a lot of sport involved in the O Cup and that the game had been played How many Challenging teams at the design and technology end of the do you expect? scale for a long time. Our aim was to bring “At least six teams are expected already the balance back a bit and make Cup and I’m pretty confident we’ll get eight racing more of a sporting challenge.” Challengers, which could mean 16 AC45s next year if each team has two boats.” Why multihulls? “Fixing the beam, length and weight Are you expecting to have of the boat means you can control the a Defender series? righting moment and hence the power “There is a real possibility of a Defender output of the boat. It is easier to keep the series and some serious interest in the performance of boats designed under a US. There is at least one person who box rule closer when they are catamarans. has indicated and has the means to “It is also important to make sure the underwrite it.” boats are demanding to sail, exciting to watch and inspire tomorrow’s young Multiple sailors.