WWW.BOATINTERNATIONAL.COM MAY 2017PHOTOGRAPH: SAM GREENFIELD/ORACLE TEAM USAON BOARDe’ve just returned from the second day out
on our new America’s Cup Class boat and
I’m excited to tell you I think we’re going to
have some incredible racing this summer.
The second day on the water we were hitting speeds
above 40 knots in 20-plus knots of wind. Our first day
out was in much lighter conditions, ideal for easing
the boat in, but even then we were foil tacking and foil
jibing across the race course. It’s just amazing what
these boats can do. But getting here hasn’t been easy.
It starts with a design rule that allows a lot of
variation in foil shape, size and structure, as well as
in the systems that control the foils and the wing.
Coming up with the right solution that results in a
fast boat across a racing wind range of five to 25 knots
is a hell of a design and engineering challenge.
We learned pretty quickly that the fastest solutions
were the most unstable designs. And the only way to
keep the boat foiling was by making near-constant
adjustments to the wing and appendages. The
problem with that was that the rule only allows for
controls to be adjusted by manual power. And it takes
a lot of power to sail these boats fast.
So the guys supplying the power – the grinders –
have to be incredibly fit. I’d put our guys up against
any professional athletes now for overall fitness.
They’re strong, they’re agile, and they need to be
able to supply massive amounts of power into the
hydraulic system for the full 25 minute race period.The new America’s Cup Class boats are faster,
more maneuverable and will showcase the most
exciting racing in America’s Cup history, says
Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy SpithillSetting the
pulse racing
When they do, we have the ability to trim the foils
and the wing in a way that harnesses the power of the
wind and converts it into speeds of more than 50mph.
When you look at it that way, these boats are some of
the most efficient machines ever built.
But once we’re out on the race track, you don’t think
about that backstory. When we’ve done practice racing
in our test boat – the AC45S – against the other teams
in Bermuda, we’ve quickly learned that in reality these
boats are a perfect tool for competitive match racing.
They’re fast, they’re very maneuverable, they’re
challenging to sail at maximum efficiency, and when
you make a mistake you get punished. The result has
been close races with classic match racing moves and
passing opportunities.
In the pre-starts, there’s a clear incentive to push a
penalty onto your opponent or to get a leeward hook
where you can leave the other guy head to wind as
you turn down for the start line at full speed. That is
classic match racing. On the downwind legs, the leader
must choose whether to sail to the course boundary to
minimize maneuvers, or cover the opponent when he
jibes off. With foiling jibes, the maneuvers aren’t as
costly, but saving a couple of jibes is still a significant
gain, so it’s not an obvious choice.
Upwind, the game is about smart
course management and here the
race course boundaries come into
play. In the old days, as the leader,
you’d try to push your opponent out
to the layline early, in the hope that
you could feed him bad air for a long
tack to the mark (or force him to sail
extra distance by overstanding).
Now the game is played on a very
narrow race course. Hitting your
laylines is still critical, but your
opponent can look to force you into
an extra tack with a dial-down near the top mark.
But this is not an ordinary dial-down. This time both
boats are probably going about 40 knots – that’s an
80 knot closing speed. You have to be pretty quick on
your feet to make the right decision.
When we race in the America’s Cup this summer, I
think the human factor is probably going to be more
important than ever. But none of this would be possible
if we didn’t have these incredible machines. I’ve never
raced on a boat that is as challenging, rewarding and
exciting as the new America’s Cup Class is. It’s going
to make for a magical summer and the best Cup yet. B“
I’ve never raced
on a boat that is
as challenging,
rewarding and
exciting as the
new America’s
Cup Class is”
W
When on the foils,
closing speeds
between two
America’s Cup boats
can be 80 knots410123456789ART
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OB Spithill