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Update: Oracle capsizes America’s Cup boat

 

In the Oct 17, 2012 CupExperience newsletter I reported on Oracle’s capsize, which destroyed the wing of their AC72 catamaran. The strongest ebb tide of the year – around 5.5 knots – carried the capsized America’s Cup boat under the Golden Gate bridge and about 2 miles beyond.  The wing broke up and the boat was towed back to Pier 80 upside down. No one was seriously hurt.
Thanks to www.pressure-drop.us for the great sequence of photos in this post.

More good photos on the Oracle Racing media page, here.  And a good video from TV New Zealand here.

AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize

AC72 capsize sequence: bearing away – the bows start to dig in AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize

AC72 capsize – the bows dig in more… AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize

AC72 capsize – Lots of spray, the bows well dug in, not much rudder left in the water AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize

AC72 capsize – Both rudders out of the water – no more steering AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize

AC72 capsize – Rudders fully out of the water AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize

Oracle Team USA AC72 – the capsize happened relatively slowly AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize

Oracle Team USA’s AC72 – the capsize happened relatively slowly AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize

The crew of Oracle Team USA’s AC72… just holding on now AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize

Nothing to do but hang on to Oracle Team USA’s AC72 AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize

Tenders attaching lines, hoping to right Oracle Team USA’s AC72 AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize

Oracle Team USA’s AC72 passing under the Golden Gate Bridge in 5 knots of ebb tide! AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize

Oracle Team USA trying desperately to right their AC72. AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize AC72 catamaran Oracle Team USA 17 Capsize

The mast has broken off Oracle Team USA’s AC72

 

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Oracle AC72 catamaran testing – Oct 2012

 

USA17-1 foiling on SF Bay Day4, 1Oct'12 USA17-1 foiling on SF Bay Day4, 1Oct’12

USA 17-1 foiling in Oct’12. Note the L shaped daggerboard and T shaped rudder on the windward hull.

The design battle rages. Oracle Racing has been foiling on their first AC72 catamaran, USA 17-1. Notice the “pod” below the wing.  In theory, it acts as a wing extension and gives more power.  In theory, because it needs to be closer to the water to be fully effective and the boat is heeling quite a bit here.

This AC72 catamaran has over 2,000 sensors, each being sampled 10 times per second. That generates about 1 GB  of data for the performance team to analyze each day.  In addition, they generate about 100 GB per day of video to analyze.

According to Ian “Fresh” Burns, foiling gives about 10% higher speed. But foiling makes the boat harder to sail, and on the tight race course in San Francisco, it might be more important to make boat handling and maneuvers simpler.

I’ll be curious to see how Artemis is set up when they launch their AC72 catamaran in San Francisco later this month! Will they be foiling or floating?