Skates to share spotlight with AC40s

The first of three Preliminary Regattas for the America’s Cup teams will host racing in the AC40s on September 14-17 in Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain. But dring that event, a hugely historic and popular 18-foot-long, beach-launched catamaran will be sharing the waters and spotlight.

It’s rare for professional sailors to look at a boat and go: “how does that work?” But the Patín de Vela (Sailing Skate), or more commonly the Patín Catalán (Catalan Skate), competes with no rudder, no centerboard, or boom, and is controlled by adjustments on the dovetail mainsail and use of body weight to steer.

To be held alongside the AC40 racing, there are 210 of these catamarans with a 5.24-foot beam confirmed for the 2023 Pati Catala de Vela regatta – a record number, all gathered at the seaside port, launching off the nearby beaches, for what promises to be a remarkable spectacle.

The 210 registered sailors at the regatta that runs on the September 16-17 will be representing a total of 27 Spanish clubs with sailors from Andalucia, Catalonia, Valencia, as well as representatives from Germany, Austria, and Belgium. Seventeen women have entered – again a record number for the Pati Catala de Vela.

“The opportunity offered by the direction of the 37th America’s Cup will mark a before-and-after in the history of the Patín de Vela with promotion of the class on a world scale,” said Gerard Esteva, himself a Patín de Vela sailor and President of the Union of Sports Federations of Catalonia. “We hope to put on a very good show to the world.”

The origins of the Patín de Vela can be traced back to the 1870s and the beach off Badalona where fishermen would stand on two hulls and paddle out to check nets but by the early part of the 20th century, the paddles that were similar to modern-day canoeists paddles, were replaced by oars and the craft were adapted for recreation and at times, racing, with the crew sitting down and rowing.

In 1942, the Mongé brothers from Catalonia first started experimenting with wooden masts and sails, placing the foot of the mast far forward and introducing the dovetail mainsail. The addition of a steel rack across the stern, a feature that is still there today, allowed the batten-less mainsail to be sheeted wide but could, crucially, be flattened for upwind work.

As the technique developed, so did the control lines and on today’s craft, the Patín de Vela ‘skates’ feature an array of control systems that can alter the forestay tension on each tack (the boats have two forestays, one mounted on each hull) to control the bend of the mast and aid direction.

About 40 ‘skates’ are built every year and although the original boats were built entirely of wood (hull and mast), now hybrid skates have gained ground, with fiberglass floats, a wooden deck, and an aluminum mast.

The biggest factor for controlling these boats is body weight. Moving forward to luff-up and aft to bear-away with the single sailor moving across the five beams that support the hulls. The sailing style has naturally adapted with the ages as in early videos, sailors can be seen standing upright and precariously stepping forwards and back.

Today, the sailors are more often found lying across the five hull planks and making small body movements and ‘crawls’ to shift distribution. In lighter airs, there is still a balancing technique of standing up whilst flying the windward hull that proves to be very fast upwind with minute adjustments on the mainsail to keep the boat at optimum pace.

All the control systems lead back to the ‘piano’ – an area at the midpoint of the craft between the hulls on the crossbeams that delivers the crucial free-flying cunningham and stay adjustments whilst the mainsheet feeds forward and is trimmed from just aft of the mast so the helm can keep looking forward.

It’s a boat that rewards technique with many sailors spending a lifetime perfecting their balance and control and the racing is fast and desperately close all the way through the fleet.

A curiosity born from innovation in Catalonia, the Patín de Vela class also has fleets in France, Holland, and Belgium but their uniqueness in the world of sailing makes them remarkable boats to see on the water and inspires much debate as to how these highly skilled sailors, sailing in the purest form of the sport, control their vessels with such dexterity.

It’s a phenomenon not lost on Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Events.

“To be honest I’m still trying to work out how they sail with no rudder and no centerboard,” noted Dalton. “That’s a unique concept to my mind and I’m very much looking forward to meeting the sailors and watching their technique down in Vilanova i La Geltrú in September. I’d like to think I could sail one, but I imagine it takes a lot of dedication and practice to get good.

Source: ACE

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 3 (AC40): Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
August 2024 (AC75): Barcelona, Spain

2024 America’s Cup
September: Challenger Selection Series
October 12 – ?: 37th Match (Best of 13)

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