The new class rule calls for a 48 foot long foiling wing-sail catamaran with a crew of six, one of whom must be a national of the team’s country. Hulls, crossbeams and wings are virtually one design, typically with tolerances of four millimeters. Designers have free rein on daggerboards, rudders, aerodynamic fairings (think of Adrian Newey at work for BAR) and control systems. Hulls and wings come apart in sections that fit in standard forty foot shipping containers. The new class will be much less expensive than the AC62 to design, build, sail, transport and launch. Critics claim they will lack the grandeur that an America’s Cup yacht should have and that spectators will not be able to see the differences the designers contribute. The other question is whether making this change so late in the cycle will attract additional challengers (like the long-rumored Asian team) and whether any new challengers will compensate for the loss of Luna Rossa.
