TNZ eye ‘electronic diamond’ around boat
Team New Zealand are investigating the use of a diamond-shaped virtual boundary around the new America’s Cup boats to improve safety for the giant foiling monohulls.
Emirates Team New Zealand and Italian challenger of record Luna Rossa released a concept video and drawings of the breakthrough 75-foot boat yesterday.
The boat features twin cantilevering foils, with the windward foil protruding alarmingly when the boat is in foiling mode.
That raised the prospect of a rival boat getting hooked by an opposition foil.
Already the designers have come up with a self-righting boat in case of a capsize, but Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton said they were also looking to increase safety in other key areas, anticipating a design race where performance will be pushed where possible.
‘‘One of the ideas we have come up with is an electronic diamond around the boat,’’ Dalton said.
The diamond would lie outside the foil on the windward side and would display on software on the racing yachts, the umpire boats and TV coverage.
‘‘If you are trying to push an opponent down the line and hook his stern, you still wouldn’t transgress the diamond. But in the wide point of the diamond by the foil, if you go in there, you are going to get a penalty,’’ Dalton said.
‘‘It’s something we are investigating. The bottom line is we treat safety very seriously. That is why the boat is self-righting and we are now looking at options of safety around the foil if necessary.
‘‘These boats are going to be fast. Formula One cars still run into each other ... but we are certainly addressing this area.’’
Dalton said they needed to come up with a versatile design and one that was more robust than the catamarans of Bermuda, given the tougher conditions expected on the Hauraki Gulf and venues that will be used for warmup regattas.