Americas Cup 34: AC 45 1st hull laminate

Photo: Ivor Wilkins/www.americascup.com

Clean carbon pre-preg construction of 1st AC45 half hull.
Below, render of the AC45 MM design, although the actual bow seems a little different, a more cut-out C2 style. We’ll see final shape when launched.
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Press Release Americascup.com
“A memo to teams from Regatta Director Iain Murray has been published, confirming many of the details regarding the AC 45 – namely some key information about the boat itself and how competitors can get their hands on one (or two, or…).

First, the key dimensions:
• Length – 13.45 m
• Maximum Beam – 6.90 m
• Mast Height – 21.50 m
• Maximum Draft – 2.70 m
• Displacement – 1400 kgs
• Wing Area – 85 sqm

The first boat completed (scheduled for around Christmas) will belong to ACRM and will be shared, for testing purposes, among teams who have entered the event. “We are setting up a system that will give all entered competitors the first chance at testing the boats as they come off the production line,” explains Iain Murray, Regatta Director of the 34th America’s Cup.
In terms of getting their own AC 45, the boats will be assigned in order of entry. The next three or four boats are scheduled to be delivered on March 1 and will be assigned to the Defender and Challenger of Record, along with the first teams to have their challenge accepted (or to have registered as defender candidates) once the entry period opens on Monday.

“The order in which teams enter will determine the order in which they can purchase an AC 45,” Murray said.After that initial bulk delivery of up to four boats, more AC 45s will be built and assigned to teams as fast as possible. No team will be allowed a second AC 45 until all teams have one.
“With a new class of boat, we know the learning curve will be steep so ACRM willdo its best to accelerate the technical handover of the new boats to the teams,” Murray continued. “Ideally the 2011 America’s Cup World Series racing season starts with all teams having had equal opportunity to get familiar with the new class.” The AC 45s are a stepping-stone to the America’s Cup 72 catamaran race boats for the 34th America’s Cup in 2013.–