Simulator work with new boat

weight challengers American Magic and INEOS Team UK, look to launch their first editions in the middle of the year.

During an appearance at a recent oceans sports seminar in Genoa, Sirena gave a feel for what the numbers were showing on a simulator they designed, in part, with Team New Zealand and works similar to those used by Formula One teams. He said they could expect to sail between 25 to 28 knots upwind and 32-50 knots downwind depending on wind conditions.

Sirena warned that the new boat lacked the stability of the catamarans.

‘‘This is a monohull without a keel, with appendages that weigh little. A hyper-powerful boat, very light, with little stability. There are fractions of a second that there is zero stability, if the helmsman and the trimmer cannot anticipate this zero moment, you fall back . . . go from 30-40 knots to zero, you have a g-force that shoots you in the air,’’ he said in an article in La Stampa.

Sirena’s simulation experience backs up the testing being done by American Magic on their scaled-down 38-foot boat being sailed extensively in Florida. The New York Yacht Club’s crew, with Kiwi veteran Dean Barker at the helm, have become increasingly comfortable and are now doing ‘‘dry laps’’ with foiling tacks and gybes, confirming they had been on their foils for as long as 26km.

In the meantime Team New Zealand have been using a simulator at their base in Auckland, a scenario they used to set up the design and performance of their America’s Cup winning catamaran for Bermuda 2017 where they trounced Spithill’s Oracle Team USA in the match.

Sirena also said Luna Rossa tried to lure Kiwi America’s Cup legend Russell Coutts after they lost the challengers cup final to Team New Zealand in 2010. But Larry Ellison persuaded Coutts to join him at Oracle where they won the 2010 and 2013 editions.

Sirena also confirmed there would be no women on their new boat. He felt most of the roles were too physical for women sailors. They may include women in a wider sailing group but conceded there wasn’t enough time to train a woman for the helming role in this campaign.