‘Turbo’ for the AC45…

Just after testing more power on the Wave… the AC45s will wear an extension for their wings.  Photo © Hannah Davis/ACRM
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“At a nondescript warehouse on Auckland’s North Shore, the latest AC45 development is taking shape – a 4 meter tall extension to the wingsail that will add over 8 square meters of surface area to the wing.

Adding more power to a boat that already challenges the best sailors in the world may seem like overkill, but Regatta Director Iain Murray says the bigger wing will promote more exciting racing in light conditions.

“The extensions aren’t fixed permanently,” Murray explains. “We can put them on or take them off, so they’ll be used at our discretion for light wind venues to add more power to the boats when we’re racing in lower wind ranges.”
 –More at www.americascup.com/en/Latest/Features/2012/1/Extended-Play/