34th America's Cup: multihulls!

34th AC----First AC 45

From Scuttlebutt Europe:

Auckland's Viaduct Harbour showcased a glimpse into the future of the America's Cup with the debut of the wing-sailed AC45 catamaran. The forerunner to the next generation of America's Cup boats, the AC45 made its maiden voyage, the first of many sea trials planned over the coming weeks.

The AC45 will be the centerpiece of the 2011-2012 America's Cup World Series, which will start mid-2011. The high-tech carbon fibre catamaran is the first in a fleet of the new 45-foot one-designs that will be tested by America's Cup teams before racing on the America's Cup World Series circuit.

The AC45 is an essential element of the vision for the 34th America's Cup, which will feature 72-foot catamarans raced on San Francisco Bay in 2013. Focused on creating more on-the-water excitement for both the teams and the fans, the AC45 is designed for both speed and close racing. While capable of closing speeds of up to 30 knots, the AC45 was designed to remain nimble enough to handle the tight race courses planned by America's Cup Race Management (ACRM).

The hulls are built in carbon epoxy with honeycomb cores, making them extremely stiff and light structures. The sandwich construction involves two carbon skins less than 1mm thick laminated over an ultra-light honeycomb core.

"We plan to run tight race courses that will force boats to engage with each other, creating really close racing situations. Multihulls are very fast boats and will therefore reach the course boundaries sooner, so races will become a true test of skill and strategy, not just speed," said Iain Murray, CEO, America's Cup Race Management and Regatta Director. "The AC45 will fast-track teams to state-of-the-art wingsail technology and crew technique in the first season, and will greatly prepare them for the AC72."
Specifications:

LOA: 44.13' (13.45m)
BEAM:22.6' (6.9m)
DSPL:1,400 kg
Mast Height:70.5' (21.5m)
Sail Area:1430 sq' (133 sqm) (up w/main & gennaker), 2,259 sq' 210 (sqm) (dwn w/main & reacher)

www.americascup.com
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For reference here are the specs for the Extreme 40 cats:

Boat Spec
Length (LOA): 40ft (12.19m)
Beam: 26ft (7.92m)
Displacement: 1250kg
Mast height: 62ft (18.89m)
Mainsail: 75msq (upwind and downwind sailing)
Jib: 25msq (upwind sailing)
Gennaker: 78msq (downwind sailing)
Top speed: 40 knots
=======================

Video of the 45 sailing-rather poor-doesn't get good until 2/3rds thru: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDlrAsQrIwk

 

34th AC----First AC 45

Very good but too short video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0qXv1-ImGw&feature=player_embedded

New comments here:

http://www.americascup.com/blog/20-knots-right-out-of-the-box_46

more here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STYMxxEkPDM&feature=player_embedded

second days sailing short vid with geny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqKPMdZRv2U&feature=player_embedded


click on image:

 

Those AC monohull/cum lately multihull sailors, we all told you so - taking months and months to agonizingly get used to multihulls, too afraid to lift a hull, crew covered in safety devices, sailing conservatively, stalling the rig out so it doesn't produce power, too afraid to sail freely around the viaduct basin, (whoooeee!) too wussy to hoist extras downwind ... absolutely no hope for this abortive attempt to change AC racing and succeed, no chance, no chance ... eh, eh??
Small type, just in case some believe the above: not serious, the absolute opposite is true, congratulations.

 

34th AC----First AC 45

Neat pictures from above-shows the wing real well:

click on image and then again(imp for detailed image) on resulting image-

 

34th AC----First AC 45

From Scuttlebutt Europe/ Sail-World this morning:

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

Full article and videos at: www.sail-world.com

video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkS0XT_-kGc

 

34th AC----First AC 45

Great video of the 45 and interview with Murray Jones:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yghH-DAOCIE&feature=player_embedded#!

 

Whats all this stuff about AC 90. ?

 

A delusion; a sinking, desperate clutch at a fantasy after being terrified by the immediate success and sensation of AC45 by some jealous, thwarted, disgruntled, egoists attempting to return to last Century match racing in leadmines. Claimed that ETNZ was involved but denied by Dalton. Since then - deafening silence.

 

Roger that Gary.

 

I just watched the Monday night races on Pittwater.
Indian Chief and Quickstep, the two fastest Cats on Pittwater, were racing
down to the line together----and they were Match Racing.
They were so close together that I couldn't judge which one of them was first across the finish line.
What a magnificent sight as they slashed their way through the fleet.

 

From Scuttlebutt Europe ,1/26/11:

Official Dates of 34th America's Cup Released

The 2013 race dates for the Louis Vuitton Cup and America's Cup Match (Finals) were confirmed today by Regatta Director Iain Murray.

Since 1983, the Louis Vuitton Cup - the America's Cup Challenger Series - has been held when more than one Challenger is vying for the right to race the Defender for the America's Cup (as is the case for the 34th America's Cup). The role of the Louis Vuitton Cup is twofold - not only to select the best Challenger, but also to help prepare that the team to race successfully against the Defender in the America's Cup Match (Finals).

The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup will race the Golden Gate Yacht Club's (GGYC) defending team in the finals, a first-to-win-five (best of nine) race series known as the America's Cup Match (Finals).

When:
Louis Vuitton Cup: 13 July - 1 September 2013*
America's Cup Match (Finals): 7-22 September 2013**

Who:
Under the Protocol Governing the America's Cup, GGYC as the Defending Club has the responsibility to select the dates.

The official notice of these dates to the currently entered six teams, and other prospective teams, from Regatta Director Iain Murray is now available at www.americascup.com under the Gallery section.

Where:
San Francisco Bay

*subject to the final number of Challengers and the precise format of the racing TBD by the Challengers and Regatta Director.
**subject to the whether the America's Cup Match (Finals) is won in five races, or goes the full nine races. americascup.com
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USA 17 Headed to San Francisco

The giant trimaran that won the 33rd America's Cup for Larry Ellison's ORACLE Racing team is heading home to San Francisco.

USA 17 has only ever competed twice, but she sailed the races of her life to dominate the Swiss defender, Alinghi, off Valencia, Spain, last year and win the 33rd America's Cup.

The extraordinary carbon-fiber machine is being loaded onto the freighter M.V. Star Isfjord this week for the long delivery trip to San Francisco via the Panama Canal. The freighter carrying both USA 17 and her extraordinary 223ft wingsail is scheduled to leave Valencia on January 29 or 30 for the 7,900-nautical-mile passage to the Bay Area.

The estimated arrival in San Francisco, dependent upon on-time loading, sea conditions en-route and transit time in the Panama Canal, is March 1.

The trimaran's arrival will mark the first time that USA 17 visits the city that ORACLE Racing calls home. She was launched in Anacortes, WA, in August 2008, and after initial testing there moved to San Diego, CA, for a further period of training before being moved to Valencia for the 33rd Cup Match last February. americascup.com
www.oracleracing.com

 

34th AC----First AC 45

Some pretty good pictures of the AC 45 whicpassed an ORMA 60 and of some 470's about to understand a whole lot more about multihulls with wings.
From sail-world.com and "multihulls" on SA:

click on image twice:

 

Driving home on Wednesday afternoon after work along Tamaki drive.... Looking left ..... Spotted this AC45 honking up the harbour on one hull! A-f&$@ing-maizing....

 

34th AC----First AC 45

More great video from the SA frontpage/youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QcaRY-TMhI&feature=player_embedded

 

34th AC----First AC 45 in 30 knots!

Spectacular video of this new boat going like a bat out of hell:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8nFXgsfAIc