AC75

AC75
Ineos Team UK AC75
Development
Year2017 –
No. built8 launched
Roleinshore racing
Boat
Crew11 + 1 optional guest
Displacement6,450 kg (14,220 lb) lightship
7,600 kg (16,800 lb) loaded
Draft5.00 m (16 ft)
Hull
TypeFoiling Monohull
Constructioncarbonfiber
LOA22.86 m (75 ft)
LOH20.70 m (68 ft)
Beam5.00 m (16 ft)
Hull appendages
Generaltopside-mounted ballasted canting T-wing foils
Ballastset in foils
Ruddercenterline T-wing rudder
Rig
Rig typebermuda sloop
Mast height26.50 m (87 ft)
Sails
Generaltwo semi-battened mainsail skins, one headsail skin
Mainsail area145 m2 (1,560 sq ft)
Jib/genoa area
90 m2 (970 sq ft)
N/A
[edit on Wikidata]

The AC75 (America's Cup 75) is a racing yacht used in the 2021 America's Cup and 37th America's Cup matches and planned to be used for the 38th America's Cup match. The 23 m (75 ft) monohulls feature wing-like sailing hydrofoils mounted under the hull, a soft wingsail, and no keel.

The rule

Following the 2017 America's Cup, winners Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron accepted a notice of challenge from Circolo della Vela Sicilia stipulating a monohull would be used in 2021. Conceptual graphics of a monohull with soft sails and topside canting hydrofoils were released on 21 November 2017, and the first draft of the class rule was published by the defender and the challenger of record on 29 March 2018. The return to monohulls with soft sails after three America's Cups on multihulls with wingsails is reminiscent of earlier America's Cup classes and seaworthy traditions, but the rule included hydrofoils to attract high performance crews and large TV audiences.

Under the protocol, each competing club could build two yachts, but two-boat testing was excluded except during the PRADA Christmas Cup on 17–20 December 2020, and for the defenders during the PRADA Cup 15 January – 22 February 2021. To reduce design and testing costs of the class unique class features, the rule specified foil controlling systems all manufactured by defender team and foil arms all manufactured by the Challenger of Record's builder Persico Marine.

List of AC75 yachts

SyndicateNameShipyardLaunchedCompetitive historyCurrentNotes
New Zealand Emirates Team New ZealandTe AiheETNZAuckland, 6 September 2019Trial boat (never raced)Sold to Alinghi as a training boat for AC37. Renamed BoatZero
United States American MagicDefiantAmerican MagicNewport, RI, 14 September 2019Trial boat (never raced)
Italy Luna Rossa Prada PirelliLuna RossaPersico MarineCagliari, 2 October 2019Trial boat (never raced)
United Kingdom INEOS Team UKBritanniaCarrington BoatsPortsmouth, 4 October 2019Trial boat (never raced)
United States American MagicPatriotAmerican MagicAuckland, 16 October 2020Raced in the 2021 Prada CupUsed as training boat for AC37. De-commissioned in February 2023
United Kingdom INEOS Team UKBritanniaCarrington BoatsAuckland, 17 October 2020Raced in the 2021 Prada Cup
Italy Luna Rossa Prada PirelliLuna RossaPersico MarineAuckland, 20 October 2020Winner of the 2021 Prada Cup
Lost the 2021 America's Cup to Emirates Team New Zealand (7–3)
New Zealand Emirates Team New ZealandTe RehutaiETNZAuckland, 18 November 2020Winner of the 2021 America's CupSold to Team Australia Challenge for AC38
New Zealand Emirates Team New Zealand Taihoro ETNZ Auckland, 11 April 2024 Winner of the 2024 America's Cup
Italy Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Luna Rossa Persico Marine Cagliari, 13 April 2024 Raced in the 2024 Louis Vuitton Cup
Switzerland Alinghi Red Bull Racing BoatOne ARBR Barcelona, 16 April 2024 Raced in the 2024 Louis Vuitton Cup
United Kingdom INEOS Britannia Britannia Carrington Boats Barcelona, 1 May 2024 Winner of the 2024 Louis Vuitton Cup
Lost the 2024 America's Cup to Emirates Team New Zealand (7–2)
United States American Magic Patriot American Magic Barcelona, 7 May 2024 Raced in the 2024 Louis Vuitton Cup
France Orient Express Team Orient Express Multiplast Barcelona, 29 May 2024 Raced in the 2024 Louis Vuitton Cup

The visible differences between designs have been commented by most of the yachtbuilding community and the specialized press as each of the boats were launched.

Speeds

Potential speed of 50 kn (93 km/h; 58 mph) was claimed based on computer simulations.

Notable high speeds actually recorded in racing were:

Controversy

Following the release of the canting hydrofoil design in 2017, Brazilian shipwright Manoel Chaves contacted ETNZ to inform them that he held a patent for the proposed design. Team New Zealand apparently ignored correspondence from Chaves' patent attorneys for over two years before simply dismissing the allegations. ETNZ defended themselves with the statement "every good idea has 1000 fathers".

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Sails of the America's Cup". Sailing World. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 1 February 2021.
  2. ↑ Hillary Noble (5 April 2018), America's Cup designer spotlight, North Sails
  3. ↑ AC75 class rule version 1.1, americascup.com, 29 June 2018
  4. ↑ Bernie Wilson (21 November 2017), Team New Zealand unveils radical foiling monohull, Associated Press
  5. ↑ World, Yachting (9 August 2022). "America's Cup: Alinghi Red Bull Racing launch their AC75". Yachting World. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  6. ↑ Team New Zealand launch their first AC75
  7. ↑ A first flight and a name
  8. ↑ 'Luna Rossa', the new flying monohull
  9. ↑ Ineos Team UK name their first AC75 'Britannia', archived from the original on 15 May 2021, retrieved 12 October 2019
  10. ↑ Farewell Patriot
  11. ↑ Patriot christened and launched
  12. ↑ Chase boats alongside also providing flotation, by tying themselves up to attachment points on Patriot., archived from the original on 17 January 2021, retrieved 17 January 2021
  13. ↑ INEOS TEAM UK christen 'Britannia'
  14. ↑ Luna Rossa launches its second AC75
  15. ↑ Team Australia Challenge take over old Team NZ AC75 Te Rehutai
  16. ↑ Emirates Team New Zealand launch Te Rehutai
  17. ↑ "Emirates Team New Zealand's New AC75 Race Boat Revealed". emirates-team-new-zealand.americascup.com. 11 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  18. ↑ "Ngti Whtua Rkei Name and Bless Taihoro, Emirates Team New Zealand's Boat to Defend the 37th America's Cup". emirates-team-new-zealand.americascup.com. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  19. ↑ Cup, America's. "THE SILVER AGE: LUNA ROSSA PRADA PIRELLI LAUNCHES ITS AC75". www.lunarossachallenge.com. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  20. ↑ "BoatOne presented! On milestone day, teamwork takes center stage". alinghiredbullracing.americascup.com/. Archived from the original on 16 April 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2024.
  21. ↑ "Momentous day for INEOS Britannia as AC75 sets sail for first time". www.ineos.com. 1 May 2024. Archived from the original on 8 May 2024. Retrieved 7 May 2024.
  22. ↑ "Emirates Team New Zealand make history to win the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup". www.americascup.com. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  23. ↑ "American Magic's Boat 3 Arrives in Barcelona". www.americanmagic.americascup.com. Retrieved 12 April 2024.
  24. ↑ Tip and Shaft (3 February 2023). "AC37 – Orient Express Team's AC75 construction expected to begin in May". Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  25. ↑ ""We are dreamers, we are doers" – France's "Orient Express" christened". 30 May 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  26. ↑ Matthew Sheahan (23 October 2020), Challenger Revelations, planetsail.org
  27. ↑ With four AC75 hulls now revealed, different solutions have been found for similar design questions, Sail World, 24 April 2024
  28. ↑ "American Magic shines as racing begins". Scuttlebutt Sailing News. 17 December 2020. Archived from the original on 15 January 2020. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  29. ↑ "How fast can Team New Zealand's AC75 go? Grant Dalton explains the new boat's design". TVNZ. 5 September 2019. Archived from the original on 27 December 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  30. ↑ "Prada Cup Semi-Final Day 1". America′s Cup. 29 January 2021. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
  31. ↑ NZ 740860
  32. ↑ Todd Niall (27 October 2020), Brazilian designer claims patent for AC75 canting foils, Stuff Ltd
  33. ↑ Scuttlebutt (27 October 2020), America's Cup: Patent problem with AC75
  34. ↑ The New Zealand Herald, America's Cup 2021: Team New Zealand refute claims they copied leading designer in construction of AC75's hydrofoils