Foils continue to get a lot of attention, with both Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) and Oracle Racing Team USA (OTUSA) both showing new daggerboards.
The S-shaped foils we saw on Emirates Team New Zealand’s first AC72 are gone, replaced by two new shapes.
AC72 design – foils – daggerboards – rudders ETNZ’s first AC72 had S-shaped daggerboards.
Their second AC72 does not have the S-shaped daggerboards – there is a curved, C-shaped board in the port hull and an almost straight board in the starboard hull. Having different shapes on each side allows them to test both shapes at the same time. Remember that the teams are allowed to build two boats and up to 10 daggerboards.
AC72 design of foils Testing different shape daggerboards on starboard and port.
We can see that Oracle is also testing different shapes – straight on starboard and slightly curved on port. Notice how the winglets are attached on each side – a sharp angle on starboard and a smooth curve on port.
AC72 design of foils for America’s Cup in 2013 Repaired and modified, USA 17 ready for launching.