America’s Cup 36: AC75 Class Rules revealed

– Reading TNZ fb that the soft Wing they are developing will “Trickle Down”…  not even close, as many sailmakers have been playing around with the concept for years, lately Heru Sails with their A-Cat & I-Fly 15 soft wings among their long  time Windsurfing development. Same for the entire Windsurfing industry and the double luff sails.

We highly respect the talent, professionalism and level of the designers of the AC75 rule, but if this concept was proposed say on an Internet forum or here or anywhere else, it would have been labeled as ridiculous complicated solution just to please the old guard with  a visual Monohull central platform.

And now this Soft wing “breakthrough”  to replace the hard wing, along supplied foils, OD mast tube and else. In the end it was better to keep a simplified multihull platform and leaving the hard wing , instead of over complicating with a ballasted 3pt monohull foiling dangerous experiment.
On their reduce cost but maintain foiling goals, best alternative would have been an scaled GC32 or updated softwing AC50 without all the playstation controls.

Don’t let aggressive sailors drive these things on the chance of destroying and hurting their fellow competitors, not on their actions but only on the new Rule creators and Team owners/Leaders stubbornness on a single hull Cup.
I like Classics & Tradition too, but this AC75 monster is nowhere honoring the old good times

New Rules: The America’s Cup AC75 Class Rule Official details below & video sent by America’s Cup Media.
——————————
——————————-
The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Circolo della Vela Sicilia, together with their respective teams Emirates Team New Zealand and the Challenger of Record – Luna Rossa, published the AC75 Class Rule for the 36th America’s Cup today.

The AC75 Class Rule defines the parameters within which teams can design a yacht eligible to compete in the 36th America’s Cup. It regulates all aspects of the boat to ensure fair and exciting racing, whilst leaving plenty of freedom for innovation to flourish.

The development of the Class Rule has been a four-month process led by Emirates Team New Zealand, working together with Luna Rossa Challenge.

“We are pleased to publish the Class Rule on time as per the Protocol. It has been a detailed collaboration with the Challenger of Record on all aspects of the rule, including the one design and supplied parts. We feel we have done a great job containing costs on certain aspects, while leaving the rule open enough for the America’s Cup to continue as the driving force of innovation and technology in sailing,” said Dan Bernasconi, Design Coordinator for Emirates Team New Zealand.

Highlights of the AC75 Class Rule include:
Strict limitations on the number of components that can be built including hulls, masts, rudders, foils, and sails, thus encouraging teams to do more R&D in simulation and subsequently less physical construction and testing
Supplied foil arms and cant system to save design time and construction costs
Supplied rigging
One design mast tube

In addition, the ‘soft wing’ mainsail concept that has been developed for the AC75 Class Rule is expected to have a trickle-down effect on sailing in the future.

“The AC75 Class Rule sets the parameters for the teams to develop and race the fastest sailing monohull on earth. The rules are the result of a close collaboration and a true partnership between Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa,” said Martin Fischer, Design Coordinator for Luna Rossa Challenge.

“This marks a definite milestone and a turning point from developing the rule to developing the boat,” said Dan Bernasconi. “Overnight we have to completely change our thinking, from trying to write a fair rule, to doing our best to design the fastest boat within the constraints of the rule. We have to stop thinking about what we intended the rule to mean, and start trying to pick it apart for what the words actually say – and see where there might be room to squeeze some advantage.”

This will be the same for the best minds in yacht design and technology across all of the teams who will begin to reveal their innovations 31 March 2019 when the first AC75 yachts can be launched.

MEDIA DOWNLOADS:
*The America’s Cup AC75 Class Rule
——-