The AC75 (America's Cup 75) is a racing yacht used in the 2021 America's Cup and 37th America's Cup matches and planned to be used for the 38th America's Cup match. The 23 m (75 ft) monohulls feature wing-like sailing hydrofoils mounted under the hull, a soft wingsail,[1] and no keel.[2]
 Ineos Team UK AC75 | |
| Development | |
|---|---|
| Year | 2017 – |
| No. built | 8 launched |
| Role | inshore racing |
| Name | AC75 |
| Boat | |
| Crew | 11 + 1 optional guest |
| Displacement | 6,450 kg (14,220 lb) lightship 7,600 kg (16,800 lb) loaded |
| Draft | 5.00 m (16 ft) |
| Hull | |
| Type | Foiling Monohull |
| Construction | carbonfiber |
| LOA | 22.86 m (75 ft) |
| LOH | 20.70 m (68 ft) |
| Beam | 5.00 m (16 ft) |
| Hull appendages | |
| General | topside-mounted ballasted canting T-wing foils |
| Ballast | set in foils |
| Rudder(s) | centerline T-wing rudder |
| Rig | |
| Rig type | bermuda sloop |
| Mast length | 26.50 m (87 ft) |
| Sails | |
| General | two semi-battened mainsail skins, one headsail skin |
| Mainsail area | 145 m2 (1,560 sq ft) |
| Jib/genoa area | 90 m2 (970 sq ft) |
| Spinnaker area | N/A |
The rule
editFollowing the 2017 America's Cup, winners Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron accepted a notice of challenge from Circolo della Vela Sicilia stipulating a monohull would be used in 2021. Conceptual graphics of a monohull with soft sails and topside canting hydrofoils were released on 21 November 2017, and the first draft of the class rule was published by the defender and the challenger of record on 29 March 2018.[3] The return to monohulls with soft sails after three America's Cups on multihulls with wingsails is reminiscent of earlier America's Cup classes and seaworthy traditions, but the rule included hydrofoils to attract high performance crews and large TV audiences.[4]
Under the protocol, each competing club could build two yachts, but two-boat testing was excluded except during the PRADA Christmas Cup on 17–20 December 2020, and for the defenders during the PRADA Cup 15 January – 22 February 2021. To reduce design and testing costs of the class unique class features, the rule specified foil controlling systems all manufactured by defender team and foil arms all manufactured by the Challenger of Record's builder Persico Marine.
List of AC75 yachts
edit| Syndicate | Name | Shipyard | Launched | Competitive history | Current | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Emirates Team New Zealand |
Te Aihe | ETNZ | Auckland, 6 September 2019 | Trial boat (never raced) | Sold to Alinghi as a training boat for AC37. Renamed BoatZero[5] | [6] |
 American Magic |
Defiant | American Magic | Newport, RI, 14 September 2019 | Trial boat (never raced) | [7] | |
 Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli |
Luna Rossa VIII | Persico Marine | Cagliari, 2 October 2019 | Trial boat (never raced) | [8] | |
 INEOS Team UK |
Britannia | Carrington Boats | Portsmouth, 4 October 2019 | Trial boat (never raced) | [9] | |
| American Magic |
Patriot | American Magic | Auckland, 16 October 2020 | Raced in the 2021 Prada Cup | Used as training boat for AC37. De-commissioned in February 2023[10] | [11][12] |
| INEOS Team UK |
Britannia II | Carrington Boats | Auckland, 17 October 2020 | Raced in the 2021 Prada Cup | [13] | |
| Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli |
Luna Rossa IX | Persico Marine | Auckland, 20 October 2020 | Winner of the 2021 Prada Cup Lost the 2021 America's Cup to Emirates Team New Zealand (7–3) |
[14] | |
| Emirates Team New Zealand |
Te Rehutai | ETNZ | Auckland, 18 November 2020 | Winner of the 2021 America's Cup | Used as training boat for AC37[15] | [16] |
| Emirates Team New Zealand
|
Taihoro | ETNZ | Auckland, 11 April 2024 | Winner of the 2024 America's Cup | [17][18] | |
| Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
|
Luna Rossa X | Persico Marine | Cagliari, 13 April 2024 | For 2024 America's Cup challenge | [19] | |
 Alinghi Red Bull Racing
|
BoatOne | ARBR | Barcelona, 16 April 2024 | For 2024 America's Cup challenge | [20] | |
| INEOS Britannia
|
Britannia III | Carrington Boats | Barcelona, 1 May 2024 | Winner of the 2024 Louis Vuitton Cup Lost the 2024 America's Cup to Emirates Team New Zealand (7–2) |
[21][22] | |
| American Magic
|
Patriot II | American Magic | Barcelona, 7 May 2024 | For 2024 America's Cup challenge | [23] | |
 Orient Express Team
|
Orient Express | Multiplast | Barcelona, 29 May 2024 | For 2024 America's Cup challenge | [24][25] |
The visible differences between designs have been commented by most of the yachtbuilding community and the specialized press as each of the boats were launched.[26][27]
Speeds
editPotential speed of 50 kn (93 km/h; 58 mph) was claimed based on computer simulations.[28]
Notable high speeds actually recorded in racing were:
- 49.1 kn (90.9 km/h; 56.5 mph) by Te Rehutai (in 15 and 19 kn (28 and 35 km/h; 17 and 22 mph)) on 17 December 2020.[29]
- 50.25 kn (93.06 km/h; 57.83 mph) by Britannia during day 4 of the Prada Cup 23 January 2021.
- 53.31 kn (98.73 km/h; 61.35 mph) by Patriot (American Magic) during day 1 of the Prada Cup Semifinals (in breeze gusting up to 22 kn (41 km/h; 25 mph)) on 29 January 2021.[30]
- 55.2 kn (102.2 km/h; 63.5 mph) by Luna Rossa (Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli) during day 3 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Final on 29 September 2024.
- 55.5 kn (102.8 km/h; 63.9 mph) by Britannia (INEOS Britannia) during day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Final on 1 October 2024.
Controversy
editFollowing the release of the canting hydrofoil design in 2017, Brazilian shipwright Manoel Chaves contacted ETNZ to inform them that he held a patent[31] for the proposed design.[32] Team New Zealand apparently ignored correspondence from Chaves' patent attorneys for over two years before simply dismissing the allegations.[33] ETNZ defended themselves with the statement "every good idea has 1000 fathers".[34]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "The Sails of the America's Cup". Sailing World.
- ^ Hillary Noble (5 April 2018), America's Cup designer spotlight, North Sails
- ^ AC75 class rule version 1.1, americascup.com, 29 June 2018
- ^ Bernie Wilson (21 November 2017), Team New Zealand unveils radical foiling monohull, Associated Press
- ^ World, Yachting (9 August 2022). "America's Cup: Alinghi Red Bull Racing launch their AC75". Yachting World. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ Team New Zealand launch their first AC75
- ^ A first flight and a name
- ^ 'Luna Rossa', the new flying monohull
- ^ Ineos Team UK name their first AC75 'Britannia'
- ^ Farewell Patriot
- ^ Patriot christened and launched
- ^ Chase boats alongside also providing flotation, by tying themselves up to attachment points on Patriot.
- ^ INEOS TEAM UK christen 'Britannia'
- ^ Luna Rossa launches its second AC75
- ^ Te Rehutai signs off Barcelona in style
- ^ Emirates Team New Zealand launch Te Rehutai
- ^ "Emirates Team New Zealand's New AC75 Race Boat Revealed". emirates-team-new-zealand.americascup.com. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "Ngti Whtua Rkei Name and Bless Taihoro, Emirates Team New Zealand's Boat to Defend the 37th America's Cup". emirates-team-new-zealand.americascup.com. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ Cup, America's. "THE SILVER AGE: LUNA ROSSA PRADA PIRELLI LAUNCHES ITS AC75". www.lunarossachallenge.com. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ "BoatOne presented! On milestone day, teamwork takes center stage". alinghiredbullracing.americascup.com/. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
- ^ "Momentous day for INEOS Britannia as AC75 sets sail for first time". www.ineos.com. 1 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
- ^ "Emirates Team New Zealand make history to win the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup". www.americascup.com. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
- ^ "American Magic's Boat 3 Arrives in Barcelona". www.americanmagic.americascup.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
- ^ Tip and Shaft (3 February 2023). "AC37 – Orient Express Team's AC75 construction expected to begin in May". Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ ""We are dreamers, we are doers" - France's "Orient Express" christened". 30 May 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ Matthew Sheahan (23 October 2020), Challenger Revelations, planetsail.org
- ^ With four AC75 hulls now revealed, different solutions have been found for similar design questions, Sail World, 24 April 2024
- ^ "American Magic shines as racing begins". Scuttlebutt Sailing News. 17 December 2020. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ "How fast can Team New Zealand's AC75 go? Grant Dalton explains the new boat's design". TVNZ. 5 September 2019. Archived from the original on 27 December 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
- ^ "Prada Cup Semi-Final Day 1". America′s Cup. 29 January 2021. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- ^ NZ 740860
- ^ Todd Niall (27 October 2020), Brazilian designer claims patent for AC75 canting foils, Stuff Ltd
- ^ Scuttlebutt (27 October 2020), America's Cup: Patent problem with AC75
- ^ NZ Herald, America's Cup 2021: Team New Zealand refute claims they copied leading designer in construction of AC75's hydrofoils
