A growing number of names in the sailing world are calling for the Americas Cup to rid itself of its current foiling boats and return to a more traditional form according to the New Zealand HeraldBut as ever with the Americas Cup an online spat is developing with old farts being accused of threatening the future of the cup.
America's cup foiling monohull speed. Had anyone but New Zealand won the 35th Americas Cup in Bermuda four years ago the boats for the 36th Cup would still have been catamarans. Top speed was reported at over 30 knots with some reports claiming 40 knots. The design rule for the 36th Americas Cup is the most audacious yet.
Emirates Team New Zealand have released the concept drawings for the new AC75 class to be used in the 2021 Americas Cup. New Zealand however decided to. Its a smaller slower and safer version of the Americas Cup AC75 the 75-foot foiling monohull with 11 crew that will sail in the 2021 Americas Cup.
The Emirates Team NZ and Luna Rossa design teams have spent the last four months evaluating concepts. It can reach speeds of more than 60 mph. The trophys roots date back to when a syndicate of businessmen from New York sailed the schooner America across the Atlantic Ocean for the Worlds Fair in England.
At 40 knots cavitation would probably have set in. Its more an airplane than a boat. At that time it.
Ultimately the innovative foiling golden bullet from New Zealand didnt win the 35th Americas Cup for Emirates Team New Zealand but it did change the face of top-level yacht racing forever. The AC75 class being used in the 36th Americas Cup introduced the first foiling monohull design to the event. And it did install the belief in the team that being different and pushing the boundaries throwing the ball as far as we could in innovation was the secret to success which eventually came in Bermuda.
A 75ft foiling monohull that will race mostly in flight at four times true wind speed up to 50 knots. The boat design rules have evolved greatly over the past three decades from the International Americas Cup Class IACC monohulls 19922007 to the wingsail catamarans 20102017 to the current AC75 class that features foiling monohulls and a return to soft sails. First tests of our one design foiling monohull spotted last week at Lake Garda Italy.