Sneak peek of Team NZ’s next boat
Cyclors to be outlawed from Cup
Cyclors are likely to be outlawed from the new America’s Cup foiling monohull revealed for the next edition of the regatta in 2021.
Emirates Team New Zealand and Italian challenger of record Luna Rossa released a concept video and drawings of the giant
75-foot boat that features twin cantilevering foils and is capable of exceeding 40 knots of boat speed.
Team New Zealand design boss Dan Bernasconi admitted the boats would continue to be powerhungry like the catamarans used at San Francisco and Bermuda, but didn’t believe cycling would bring any relief for the crews which are aimed at being around
12-strong.
Team New Zealand revolutionised the ‘‘cyclors’’ concept to provide an edge that helped them win the Auld Mug in Bermuda in June.
They weren’t ruled out when the Kiwis revealed their 2021 protocol last September but it seems there has been a U-turn, with a move back to more traditional methods, as they look to return sailing skills to the sport’s biggest stage.
‘‘I think we probably won’t have cyclors on the boat. That’s not completely decided but I think it is probably going to be traditional grinding,’’ Bernasconi explained, saying that would be defined in the AC75 class rule, which is now being worked on ahead of its release on March 31 next year.
He believed the boat would be capable of foiling in just 9 knots of wind speed and the startling top speeds would ease the doubts of those who were against moving away from the exciting cats.
‘‘I think it will be a great boat for all conditions. It is going to be tricky to sail in those marginal foiling conditions, (but) that can be what really separates the great sailors from the good sailors.’’
Bernasconi predicted an exciting design race in the leadup to Auckland 2021 as teams look to squeeze what they can from the
new boat, which resembles a massive foiling skiff with an open hull at the stern. He said the final concept only came to fruition over the past week.
‘‘From here we need to build a rule around it, put in certain constraints to provide a competitive fleet but allowing enough open areas for design flair,’’ Bernasconi told Stuff from Britain, where he has been working with Luna Rossa designers and also touching base with British syndicate Ben Ainslie Racing who have confirmed they will be in Auckland.
‘‘Just like in the last cup there were elements of one-design for cost cutting which were really important. At the same time the America’s Cup has always been a design competition and we very
much want to keep it that way.
‘‘I think there will be plenty of scope, particularly with a completely new class and concept like this. There will be a lot of areas to explore and a lot of things we will be learning over the next three years designing this boat. It will remain a design competition.’’
Bernasconi said they had gained feedback from potential syndicates over the past 10 days and the feedback had been positive.
He felt they had taken the right path of pushing the boundaries.
‘‘We could see how feasible it was to make a fully foiling monohull and if we couldn’t have got to the concept which we thought would work and produce good match racing, we wouldn’t
have gone that way. It will produce good match racing,’’ Bernasconi reassured.
He felt a crew of 12 was the ‘‘best guess’’ at the moment. The Bermuda catamarans had just six sailors on board.
There was also continued research and development work on wingsails against a more conventional cloth sail approach.
‘‘With this concept we were pretty firm in wanting to produce something that relates more to people that do club racing and can find its way into sailing outside the America’s Cup,’’ Bernasconi said.
‘‘While wingsails are very good for efficiency and control, they do need a crane to get them in and out. We’d like something that is more practical.’’