Blog Page – Page 67

November 3, 2014 By Jack Griffin

America’s Cup World Series to Begin in June 2015 in Italy

Luna Rossa will host the first America’s Cup World Series event in Italy in June 2015. Ben Ainslie Racing will host the second ACWS event in Portsmouth in July. The rest of the schedule is still being negotiated.

Racing will be in one design AC45’s. Luna Rossa, BAR, Artemis and Oracle have all modified AC45’s for foiling, but they will not race those boats, as they are not one design. BAR plans to buy a new AC45 for racing. Presumably Luna Rossa will do the same. Oracle, Team New Zealand and Artemis all have unmodified AC45’s which will be converted for foiling under the one design AC45 Class Rule. Team France plans acquire a foiling one design AC45. Read more about the rules for foiling AC45’s here and about the loophole in the rules here.

Results from the America’s Cup World Series Could Count for the America’s Cup Match

Racing in the America’s Cup World Series will take place in 2015 and 2016 in the foiling one design AC45’s. The ACWS winner and runner up will carry two points and one point respectively into the “America’s Cup Qualifiers” – the round robin series in AC62 catamarans that will begin in early 2017. ACWS results are doubly important, since they will be used to break ties in the America’s Cup Qualifiers. Defender Oracle will race in the America’s Cup Qualifiers – the first time in history that a defender will compete with the challengers to determine which challenger will go to the America’s Cup Match. And, the winner of the America’s Cup Qualifiers (which could be the defender) will begin the America’s Cup Match with one point it they make it to the Match. Read more about the revolutionary scoring format here.

Finalizing the America’s Cup Calendar

Each of the teams wants to host at least one ACWS event. Bermuda has said that they will hold one regardless of whether they are selected as the venue for the America’s Cup Match. The full calendar for 2015 was to have been announced by 1 November 2014 but negotiations with venues are taking longer than planned. The venue for the America’s Cup Match is to be announced by 31 December 2014. The venue for the America’s Cup Qualifiers is to be announced by 15 February 2015. The 2016 ACWS schedule is due by 1 August 2015.

The Venue for the America’s Cup Match

ACEA has reported that the two locations still in contention, Bermuda and San Diego, have both submitted their final proposals, and that the venue will be announced in December. These two locations were shortlisted in July 2014. After months of negotiations and with final proposals submitted, it seems curious that the announcement will not come before December. Stand by for more news in the coming weeks.

October 28, 2014 By Jack Griffin

Olympic Gold Medalist Paul Goodison Joins Artemis Racing

Olympic gold medalist Paul Goodison has joined Artemis Racing. Winner of the Laser event at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Goodison has also won world championships in the Laser (2009), Melges 32 (2012) and Melges 20 (2014). He recently started racing a foiling Moth, taking 12th place in this year’s Moth world championships, won by Artemis Racing’s Nathan Outteridge.

October 28, 2014 By Jack Griffin

Is Ben Ainslie’s Budget Really Bigger than Oracle’s?

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Interviewed on CNBC in late October 2014, Ben Ainslie indicated that his America’s Cup challenge has a bigger budget than Oracle Team USA’s. Once again confirming that his budget is £80 million – approximately $128 million – he also said about OTUSA, “I know that their budget next time around is under $100 million.”

Asked “How many contenders have we got for 2017?” he replied, “Seven or eight.” This implies he knows of one or two more challengers who have not yet been announced. Remember that even though the Entry Period for challenges closed 8 August 2014, the Protocol for the 35th America’s Cup gives defender Golden Gate Yacht Club the flexibility to accept late challenges.

October 27, 2014 By Jack Griffin

Cammas Convinced that Team France Will Be Competitive

team-france-interview — SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE TO WATCH THE INTERVIEW.

This 27 October 2014 interview with Franck Cammas will show you both his Gallic charm and his fierce determination to be competitive in the 2017 America’s Cup.

Listen at 3:20 when interviewer Yves Calvi says,

“Il y a quelque chose qui me plait beaucoup chez vous, je dirais ‘à l’américaine’ … vous êtes obsédé par la victoire… on est loin de Coubertin… vous êtes là pour gagner. La phrase de Coubertin ‘l’importante, c’est de participer.’ Ca vous dit quelque chose?”

“There’s something that I like about you – I’d say, like the americans – you’re obsessed by winning. That’s far from de Coubertin, who said the important thing is to participate. Does that mean anything to you?”

And Cammas answers,

“Oui, c’est sûr mais je pense que le jeu en vaut la chandelle si on se donne tous les moyens pour gagner. Partir pour partir, il y a beaucoup qui peuvent le faire. On veut cette petite différence de gagner, d’arriver avant les autres. C’est un plaisir. Ce n’est pas pour battre les autres mais c’est le plaisir d’avoir bien fait ce qu’on s’est donné de faire.”

“Sure, but I think rewards are worth the effort of giving yourself everything you need to win. Lots of people can get to the starting line, but for us, the difference is we want to win, to finish ahead of the others. That’s the pleasure – not to beat the others but to have done well what we set out to do.”

Competitive in the America’s Cup? “J’en suis convaincu.”

At about 5:20, when Calvi asks what his goal is now, Cammas explains how he has set and reached goals and that he now has his sights set on the America’s Cup.

“Chaque objectif atteint, c’est vraiment un rêve. Même dans mon premier Figaro je rêvais de prendre le départ. Ensuite j’ai rêvé de le gagner, je l’ai gagné.

“Each goal attained has been a dream. For my first Figaro, I dreamed of getting to the start. Then I dreamed of winning it and I won.

Mon prochain rêve, c’est de faire la Couple de l’America… C’est merveilleux mais en même temps c’est très difficile. Il faut des sous mais il faut surtout les bonnes personnes… je suis notamment avec Desjoyeaux et de Kersauson… On a un vrai volonté de partir ensemble sous notre bannière française et de montrer que les français, sur ce type d’épreuve peuvent être très très performants par rapport au reste du monde. J’en suis convaincu.”

My next dream is to compete in the America’s Cup… It’s marvellous and at the same time it’s very difficult. You need money but above all you need good people. I’m with Desjoyeaux and de Kersauson. We’ve got a strong desire to compete together under the French banner to show that the French can be very, very competitive in this type of competition. I’m convinced of it.”

Watch the interview

Franck Cammas : “Montrer que les Français… by rtl-fr

Is this the Biggest Loophole in the 2017 America’s Cup Rules?

2017 America's Cup - AC45x rendering Oracle Team USA — 2017 America’s Cup – AC45x rendering Oracle Team USA

OTUSA DESIGNERS REVIEW DRAWINGS FOR A DEVELOPMENT BOAT BASED ON AC45 HULL SHAPES.Your editor has already pointed out here that the Protocol for the 35th America’s Cup allows unlimited development (read “spending”) on up to three 45 foot catamarans. Now Oracle Team USA has given us a peek at a design for one of these exotic “development AC45” catamarans.

Limits on sailing AC62’s and AC62 “surrogates”

Teams are not allowed to launch their AC62 catamaran until approximately September 2016 – 150 days before the round robin racing begins in the “America’s Cup Qualifiers.” Nor are they allowed to sail “surrogate yachts” – multihull yachts longer than 33 feet overall – for training, test or development of AC62 components. (They are allowed to race surrogates, e.g. Extreme 40, or use surrogates purely for promotional sailing.)

2017 America's Cup - Oracle Team USA AC45x test boat in construction, Nov'14 — 2017 America’s Cup – Oracle Team USA AC45x test boat in construction, Nov’14

No limits on up to three “development AC45” catamarans

Protocol Article 1.1 (bbb) (ii) makes an exception to the definition of “Surrogate Yacht.” As long as the lower part of the hulls have the same shape as AC45 hulls, the designers can build whatever they want on top. In the OTUSA renderings, we can see that they have designed flared hulls to accommodate cockpits, a grinding pedestal and wheel steering. They have added hydraulics for daggerboard control, an end plate under the wing, and what looks like a pod under the platform. What else have they added that we can’t see? Probably wing controls. In addition, rule would allow them to add motors to simulate additional grinding pedestals to provide the same amount of hydraulic pressure they will have available on their AC62 so they can test all their control systems.

No limits on wing sections and daggerboards

Protocol Article 35.7 limits teams to four “AC45” yachts, one of which will need to be class compliant for America’s Cup World Series racing. But there is no limit placed on the number of wings, daggerboards or any other component. Wing geometry is tightly restricted by the AC62 Class Rule, but building multiple wings would allow testing of different control systems. Teams can test a maximum of 12 daggerboard sections for their AC62, but any number of shapes on their “development AC45.”

We should be seeing plenty of interesting design ideas in 2015 and 2016!

Photos and more info about AC45 test boats and surrogates here.

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