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New America's Cup Wing-Masted Catamarans

Discussion in 'General Sailing Discussion' started by brian eiland, Jan 16, 2011.

  1. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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  2. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    ....courtesy of Scuttlebutt


    * What is your opinion of the advantage some people perceive that BMW Oracle has in multihulls and particularly in wingsail design? Is this advantage insurmountable for a challenging team?

    ANDREW MASON:
    Actually, I think this purported advantage is a myth. The wing used on the BMW Oracle trimaran was aerodynamically simplistic, and if scaled down to the correct size for an AC72, would not be competitive with the first generation of AC72 wings that we will see in 18 months time. The wing was simple for good reason, it was a gargantuan task to get it built and sailing in the time available, and it needed to work straight out of the box and be robust and reliable. In that respect the BMW Oracle design team did a fantastic job, if they had gone for a more complex design, chances are that the wing would have been too late or too unreliable. The team picked the correct level of design complexity for the task at hand, which was simply to be faster than Alinghi, not to produce the fastest possible wing design.

    This time around it will be different, and aerodynamically BMWO will have to start from scratch with all the other teams. The wings will be very different, possibly with all elements able to twist and the likelihood of more than two elements being used. I would also not count on the C-Class cat rigs being a model for what we may see in AC34. While the C-Class designers have done a fantastic job developing the rigs to where they are, they have had to work with little or no CFD facilities, relatively small budgets, and small sailing crew numbers, so the wing designs have been fairly simple as a result. It will be interesting to see what features prevail in the design of the AC72 wings in an environment of high budgets, extensive CFD, and large crew sizes.

    Although I think that aerodynamically and hydrodynamically BMWO does not have any real advantage over a good challenging team, I do concede that BMWO has a significant advantage in the structural design of the wing and platform. The combination of the load data collected from sailing the trimaran with the knowledge and experience of former Alinghi structural designer Dirk Kramers will be difficult to match. Combine this with the experience of the BMWO build team and it will be hard for other teams to match the structural integrity and quality of the BMWO boats.


    ...more analysis here:
    http://www.cupinfo.com/en/americas-cup-automated-yacht-design-optimization.php
  3. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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  4. Ward

    Ward Senior Member

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    In case anyone else was confused by AC72, AC45, and AC34 acronyms:

    AC72 is the ~72' cats that will race in the next America's Cup

    AC45 is a smaller ~45' design that Cup teams will race in 2011 to get used to wing cats and they'll be used for the Youth America's Cup.

    AC34 (the one that confused me) is just a reference to the event itself, Match #34.
  5. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    AC45 Ticks All The Boxes

    Sail-World was very privileged to get a look at the new AC45 sailing on the Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf, in conditions that were testing - a 20kts SW breeze, gusting to 26kts.

    It was very hard, or impossible to find fault with the AC45, which turned in a remarkable performance by any standard and particularly for a multihull.

    She exhibited excellent speed up and downwind - hitting 13-16kts upwind and 27-30kts downwind.

    The sailing angles were very good - comparable with a keelboat, maybe not up at the angles of an AC Version 5 - noted for their closewindedness.

    Handling was an absolute dream - even some quite radical maneuvers such a several 'S' bend bearaways at speed from an on the wind course, there was no tendency to bury a bow, and she stayed almost level throughout.

    Tacking was unbelievable - far quicker than a monohull - even an AC class yacht - and more akin to a very well sailed foiling moth - which does not put her hull in the water during a tack. The AC45 put both hulls in the water for maybe a second as she went through the eye of the wind, and then she was back flying a hull again on the new tack.
    Richard Gladwell

    Photos by Chris Cameron, www.chriscameron.co.nz . Click on image for photo gallery
  6. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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  7. AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    I must admit that I lost interest in Americas Cup when the 12 m were no longer there. They were not very fast, but fun to see. The more recent yachts and especially the new cats are more like watching wrestling, spectacular first time, but not something you can relate to.

    Yes, I am getting old...:)
  8. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    My interest was also the original 12 meter boats as that was at the time of my entrance into the world of sailing. But I quickly branched off into mutihull craft as that was where real innovation was happening, unrestrained by artificle racing rules, handicaps, etc.

    Even as an avid multihuller though, I am a bit put off by the use of the rigid wings. I say this only because I do not see this technology filtering down into the normal sailor's life. It is exciting technology, just not practical on cruising vessels...regrettably.

    I had some involvement with the Formula 40 multihulls in Europe, and I believe this was a VERY BIG boost to the multihull movement. And a lot of the technology from this long term development of multihull boats (particularly in France) has benefited the sailing world immensely
  9. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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  10. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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  11. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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  12. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Perception and Reality

    By Chris Gill, WindCheck editor


    I became interested in sailing when I was eight years old. My family had little sailing background; we just happened to live near the water. With modest knowledge of the sport, the America’s Cup, in my eyes, was the pinnacle of sailing. The idea of being able to watch it on television for a couple of hours at night during any given Cup year was pretty cool.

    I was captivated by the Cup and my growing love of the sport infected my whole family – they really had no choice in the matter. I was young. Sailing was all that mattered. I talked my parents into signing me up for sailing lessons (and buying a second-hand Blue Jay). The rest all came later…the purchase of a family boat, sailing vacations, crewing on race boats, and forging lifelong relationships with sailing friends – just about every framed photograph in our house was taken aboard a boat or with our friends at the yacht club; All that from simply seeing what an amazing sport sailing is on television when I was a child.

    Lately, I’ve heard comment after comment, seen post after post, and read article after article about the apparent poor state of the Cup. Though I no longer think the America’s Cup is necessarily the pinnacle of our sport, I believe it remains, in effect, the ambassador of our sport to the general public. If you asked someone on the street if they’ve heard of the Melges 32 Worlds, they’d probably think you were talking about a sci-fi movie. Ask about the teams prepping for the Volvo Ocean Race, and they’d ask how one could possibly race cars on water. For most nonsailors, the America’s Cup is what it’s always been: a bunch of guys racing big, expensive sailboats, crashing through waves (like in the Old Spice commercials), wearing matching crew shirts with zinc oxide on their noses, and spinning pedestal grinders a million miles per hour.

    So what’s wrong with the Cup getting a facelift; a perception shift, if you will, that the general public will see as different, exciting and accessible? Yes, the last few Cups were shrouded in a fog of lawsuits and bad blood, but most regular Americans know that our guys in a super-fast, space-age three-hulled boat beat their guys in a super-fast, space age two-hulled boat – and that the Cup is back home. To me, the time is right for repositioning the Cup as an everyman’s spectator event, as exciting as soccer or car racing, or bull riding…all sports that I enjoy watching despite limited knowledge of the inner workings of them, their major players or best teams.

    With the advent of multihull use, their higher speeds and closure rates, better on-board video and commentary, close-to-shore action and a U.S. arena for competition, things are already off to a great start. Add to that a “World Series” at venues around the globe (including Newport, RI most likely) and a Junior America’s Cup with young sailors racing boats that are as high-tech as the actual Cup boats, things might really take off…the event just might become something that anyone would enjoy following.

    So what if the Cup isn’t what it was. The reality is that nobody outside the sport really knew what it was all about anyway. Maybe the new format, boats and venues will spark renewed interest in a sport that has always been considered elitist and stodgy, slow, distant and dare I say, boring to watch. The idealistic youngsters watching the “new” Cup won’t care about the amount of money being infused into the local economy or the big paychecks of the sailors. Perhaps they’ll just be enthralled with the sheer majesty of racing boats. The rest all comes later.

    See you on the water.


    http://tinyurl.com/WC-021511
  13. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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  14. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    Eight Entries Now

    America's Cup event organizers have confirmed the receipt of an eighth entry for the 34th America's Cup in 2013. The official announcement by the team is expected soon.

    The receipt of an eighth entry for the 34th America's Cup in 2013 was confirmed today. This seventh challenger for the America's Cup joins ranks with Aleph (France), Artemis Racing (Sweden), Energy Team (France), Mascalzone Latino (Italy), Team Australia, and one undisclosed team. (S-W: Believed to be Team NZ). The United States' Oracle Racing, vying to Defend the Cup, is the eighth entrant.

    'With the AC45 sea trials underway for entered Cup competitors, we're pleased to confirm the addition of an eighth team to the international field of entries to date,' said Iain Murray, Regatta Director for the 34th America's Cup and CEO of America's Cup Race Management (ACRM).

    ACRM is managing the day-to-day operations of the AC45 wing-sailed catamaran as entered teams take turns putting the boat through its paces. The AC45 is the forerunner to the larger AC72, which will be sailed in the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco in 2013.

    The entry process and validation procedures are set out in the America's Cup Rules and can be found at www.americascup.com.

    The entry period for the 34th America's Cup runs November 1, 2010 to March 31, 2011.
  15. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    America's Cup World Series Dates Released

    With final venue bids under review, the America's Cup Event Authority (ACEA) released the inaugural America's Cup World Series (AC World Series) dates. The first half of the AC World Series will consist of five nine-day regattas in 2011, finishing up with three more regattas by mid-2012. The winning host cities for the 2011-2012 AC World Series will be revealed in the coming weeks.

    The AC World Series venue assessment process has focused on the ability of prospective host sites to provide the infrastructure and support needed to stage a superior event on and off the water. Tens of thousands of fans are expected to watch in person at each venue.

    The 2011-2012 AC World Series will be sailed in the AC45, the forerunner to the next generation of America's Cup boats.

    The 2012-2013 season will be sailed in the larger and faster America's Cup boats, the AC72, and its champion will be crowned just prior to the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup (America's Cup Challenger Series) in July 2013. This AC World Series will also enable all teams seeking to compete in the America's Cup Finals in September 2013 to be race-ready for the AC72.

    2011-2012 America's Cup World Series Schedule*

    Event One: 16 - 24 July
    Event Two: 13 - 21 August
    Event Three: 17 - 25 September
    Event Four: 15 - 23 October
    Event Five: 10 - 18 December
    Event Six: 17 - 25 February, 2012
    Event Seven: 14 - 22 April, 2012
    Event Eight: 19 - 27 May, 2012
  16. vivariva

    vivariva Senior Member

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    Just received an update which might be of interest:

    The Artemis Team capsized the AC 45 Cat near Auckland on 21st of February during testing and apparently, the wing's 'skin came-off' prompting further repair back ashore. This is an issue which might be of concern for the wing technology in the AC races.

    The capsize itself was not actually during the sailing test, but during a lunch break where the boat was dead to wind, with a sudden 15deg 30 knot gust coming over a side. The boat apparently rolled over slowly but no one was hurt.

    You could read more on Paul Cayard's website. Regards,
    VR
  17. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    The report I saw last indicates they had stopped to make some adjustments to the 'boom'. They were sitting head to wind when the sudden gust came. Here is one C-class sailors observation:



    ..'the boat was apparently "stopped" for lunch and a puff'...

    hello... the technique with our C-Class wing was no different than
    heaving-to with a softsail: pull the wing way out with a tiny bit of
    flap angle and push and lock the rudders hard over and boards down.
    The boat happily sits there rocking back and forth while you relax.
    First used this technique to sit out a series of 60-knot squalls on a
    Tornado and then numerous times with the wing-sailed C-Class on SF
    Bay. Works just fine on a cruising cat in the middle of the ocean as
    well.

    JoeS.
  18. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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  19. buffalohunter

    buffalohunter New Member

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    I have to agree with you on that remark.

    buffalohunter
  20. brian eiland

    brian eiland Senior Member

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    America's Cup Entries Surge to 15 teams

    The new era of America's Cup racing has attracted 15 teams from 12 countries who will begin their quest for the Cup with 2011 America's Cup World Series stops in Cascais, Portugal; Plymouth, England; and San Diego, California.

    As the entry period closed at midnight on March 31, 14 challengers had filed applications for the 34th America's Cup to be held in San Francisco, September 2013. Twelve of these have been validated while the remaining two teams will be checked against the qualifying requirements in the coming days. With ORACLE Racing previously accepted as the defense candidate, a total of 15 teams could be confirmed.

    The current list of vetted and accepted competitors is a geographically diverse field: ALEPH EQUIPE DE FRANCE (France), Artemis Racing (Sweden), China Team (China), Emirates Team New Zealand (New Zealand), Energy Team (France), Mascalzone Latino (Italy), ORACLE Racing (USA), Team Australia (Australia), and five undisclosed teams.

    America's Cup Event Authority (ACEA) revealed the inaugural AC World Series would begin in Europe in August of 2011. Formal announcements will be made with officials in each individual city.

    2011 AC World Series Schedule

    Event One:
    Cascais, Portugal
    August 6 -14

    Event Two:
    Plymouth, England
    September 10-18
    (Read more about the Plymouth event here)

    Event Three:
    San Diego, California
    Dates TBD, to be set between mid Oct. and early Dec.

    "We have selected venues that reflect both the prestige of the America's Cup, as well as can bring the action on the water to those on land," said Richard Worth, Chairman, ACEA. "Similar to San Francisco, all of the inaugural AC World Series venues enable spectators to watch the racing live, which will help expose this great sport to more people worldwide."

    ACEA is making significant progress on broadcast partner and sponsorship discussions, backed by a robust commercial offering that includes a high level of AC World Series events in the years leading up to the America's Cup Finals, a new CSR program and a full broadcast and online strategy. The first broadcast partner will be announced in the very near future.

    * With a letter addressed to Club Canottieri Roggero di Lauria, the Golden Gate Yacth Club has accepted officially the Venezia Challenge into the 34th America's Cup.

    Venezia Challenge joins Club Nautico di Roma (ITA, the "Challenger of Record"), Kungliga Svenska Segal Sallskapet (SWE), Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (NZL), Aleph Yacht Club (FRA), Yacht Club de France (FRA), the Mei Fan Yacht Club (CHN), the Sail Korea Yacht Club (KOR) and four other undisclosed Challengers. In total, there are now 15 entries for the 34th America's Cup, including Defender candidate ORACLE Racing Team.