America’s Cup: Winning requires risks

The fastest boat always wins the America’s Cup, and with the AC75 Class Rule still in its infancy, the design teams are still navigating how best to exploit the measurement opportunities. With their boat completed, here are comments from the Alinghi Red Bull Racing team:

Marcelino Botin, Principal Boat Designer:
You spend three years seeing the boat evolve on the computer and then you see it full size, it’s like magic! It’s the result of a lot of work of many different people. It’s the most amazing thing with a boat like this. When the boat launches, you get the feeling of everything that’s involved in getting the boat out of the shed and in the water. How many people were involved to get to this point. It’s more than the boat itself. It’s the result, the consequence of something special from the team. Obviously, we love the boat, but what matters is all the individuals that put their effort, inspiration & talent into it.

Ernesto Bertarelli,Chairman:
I would say that we have gone a little further than the others in most areas of our boat. It was our conviction to push the design. The result is a fairly aggressive shape. Experience from previous America’s Cup campaigns shows that the teams that won were the ones that took risks. Our philosophy from the beginning was not to be afraid, to take certain risks and to consistently pursue our convictions. The expression of this attitude is our “Boat-One”. We hope that this design will give us the decisive advantage when the regattas start at the beginning of September.

Following the publication of the AC37 Protocol and AC75 Class Rule on November 17, 2021, the AC75 Class Rule and AC Technical Regulations were finalized on March 17, 2022. The entry period opened December 1, 2021 and runs until July 31, 2022, but late entries for the 37th America’s Cup may be accepted until May 31, 2023. The Defender was to announce the Match Venue on September 17, 2021 but postponed the venue reveal, confirming it would be Barcelona on March 30, 2022. The 37th America’s Cup begins October 12, 2024.

Teams revealed to challenge defender Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
• INEOS Britannia (GBR)
• Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI)
• Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team (ITA)
• NYYC American Magic (USA)
• Orient Express Racing Team (FRA)

2023-24 Preliminary Regattas
September 14-17, 2023 (AC40): Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
November 30-December 2 (AC40): Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
August 22-25, 2024 (AC75): Barcelona, Spain

2024 Challenger Selection Series
August 29-September 8: Double Round Robin
September 14-19: Semi Finals (Best of 9)
September 26-October 7: Finals (Best of 13)

2024 America’s Cup
October 12-21: 37th Match (Best of 13)

For more schedule details, click here.
Additionally, 12 teams will compete in the 2024 Youth & Women’s America’s Cup.

Noticeboard: https://ac37noticeboard.acofficials.org/
Additional details: www.americascup.com/en/home

Source: ACE