Yachts & Yachting — February 2018

C/O EMIIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND

However he adds that “the potential for

gains and losses is bigger, and when they

do happen, those gains and losses will

be bigger, and that close quarters racing

will certainly be exciting for spectators.”

At the forefront of the challenge is how

the sailors will adapt to racing with foils

projecting up to ve metres from the side

of the yacht. “at has potential to cause

a few incidents.” But alluding back to the

exiblity inherent within the America’s

Cup, he continues: “e concept of the

boats is very uid; and this is where

we are likely to see rules changes, both

due to practicalities as well as safety.”

e latter of course is a huge priority

for any high speed boat with appendages.

And although the AC75 will be self-

righting in the event of a capsize, that

doesn’t take away from the risks inherent

in such an incident in the rst place.

Capsizing could be a real possibility;

during the sudden transition from

foiling to non-foiling (known as a ‘crash

down’, which had viewers on the edge of

their seats in the last Cup) the righting

moment that the AC75 would carry

whilst foiling is likely to reduce to around

a quarter; in a keel-less monohull,

that could easily result in a capsize.

ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

While they wait for the rst of the two

permitted keel-less monohulls to be

developed and launched, the team is

wasting no time and is already out on the

water. Sailing as part of Tony Langley’s

TP52 Gladiator crew has come as a

valuable opportunity for Ainslie and

a core crew (Giles Scott, Nick Hutton,

Dave Carr, Jono Macbeth) to jump-

start their team work within a grand

prix monohull race circuit. Langley

• described by Ainslie as “one of the
  biggest supporters of British sailing”–
  remains at the helm with around half
  of his regular crew on board alongside
  Ainslie and his team. e Land Rover
  BAR Academy squad, winners of
  the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup in
  Bermuda, may also bolster the squad.
  Gladiator will be lining up against the
  established TP52 team Quantum Racing,
  and newcomers Luna Rossa, sailing a
  new build TP52 with Francesco Bruni
  at the helm. With a total of nine new
  boats debuting on the circuit overall,
  coupled with this inux of America’s
  Cup sailors, the TP52 Super Series will
  doubtless prove an invaluable training
  ground when the series starts in May.

HOME WATERS SUPPORT

Back on home waters, Ainslie and Land

Rover BAR members will be on board

Langley’s UK-based Gladiator for several

key events this season, notably this year’s

Round the Island Race and Cowes Week.

In more exciting news for fans,

Ainslie conrms the team’s intention

is to carry out testing and training on

the Solent in the same way as we saw

in the lead up to AC35. It’s incredible

to think that by March 2019 we should

see the rst iteration of the British

Challenger ying over home waters.

Could we also see some race action in

the same way as we saw in 2015 and 2016

when Portsmouth hosted two highly

successful America’s Cup World Series

events? Two events are pencilled in for

2019 and three for 2020; Ainslie supports

the idea that one could be UK-based.

It would certainly give the British team

and the America’s Cup itself a boost in

terms of prole raising. With all the Cup

action taking place in New Zealand,

anyone following the racing from Europe

will need to turn nocturnal to follow the

action live when it happens in early 2021.

at said, free to view broadcasts this

time round along with ever-advancing

media technology will make it well worth

doing so! In the meantime, the decision

on potential ACWS venues lies with the

Kiwis and Italians, so for now we wait.

And as for foiling monohulls

becoming commonplace in racing,

Ainslie comments: “How much

technology will actually trickle down

is unknown – just how practical these

boats will be to sail, we don’t yet know.

But Emirates Team New Zealand do

have plans. And it would be very cool

to see foiling monohulls on the Solent.

It could be a reality, but there’s a lot

of work to go into these boats rst.”

With that in mind, it’s onwards

and upwards for Land Rover BAR

as the clock ticks towards 2021.

Above

Racing in the

new AC75s will

see bigger gains

and losses

Below

The new keel-less

foiling monohull

is designed to

be self-righting

Capsizing could be a real possibility during a

crash down, as righting moment reduces

BEN AINLSIE INTERVIEW

32 Yachts & Yachting February 2018 yachtsandyachting.co.uk

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