News Around The World

FOTO: AMERICAS´S CUP/VIRTUAL EYE

THE AMERICA´S CUP CLASS AC75 BOAT CONCEPT REVEALED

Anew era in America’s Cup racing was unveiled on November 20, as the concept for the AC75, the class of boat to be sailed in the 36th America’s Cup wa released. The consept illustrates a high performance fully foiling monohull racing yacht.

The Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa design teams have spent the last four months evaluating a wide range of monohull concepts. Their goals have been to design a class that will be challenging and demanding to sail, rewarding the top level of skill for the crews; this concept could become the future of racing and even cruising monohulls beyond the America’s Cup.

“This design process has been new territory for the team, starting with a clean sheet to develop a class - and we’ve loved it. We wanted to see how far we could push the performance of monohull yachts to create a foiling boat that would be challenging to sail and thrilling to match race. We’re really excited about the concept and can’t wait to see it on the water..

We think we have achieved these goals - thanks also to the constructive co-operation of Luna Rossa design team - as well as the more practical detail to consider in terms of cost management and logistics of running the boats, says Dan Bernasconi, Design Coordinator Emirates Team New Zealand.

The AC75 combines extremely high-performance sailing and great match racing with the safety of a boat that can right itself in the event of a capsize. The ground-breaking concept is achieved through the use of twin canting T-foils, ballasted to provide righting-moment when sailing, and roll stability at low speed.

Although racing performance has been the cornerstone of the design, consideration has had to be focused on the more practical aspects of the boat in the shed and at the dock, where both foils are canted right under the hull in order to provide natural roll stability and to allow the yacht to fi t into a standard marina berth.

A huge number of ideas have been considered in the quest to defi ne a class that will be extremely exciting to sail and provide great match racing, but the fi nal decision was an easy one: the concept being announced was a clear winner, and both teams are eager to be introducing the AC75 for the 36th America’s Cup in 2021. The AC75 class rule will be published by March 31st 2018.

www.americascup.com

FOR THE FIRST TIME INDOORS: WINDSURFING SHOW AT BOOT DÜSSELDORF 2018

From 20. to 28. January 2018 it will be time to experience 360° water sports again at boot Düsseldorf. The major windsurfi ng manufacturers will be presenting everything that surfers cold possibly desire in the newly designed exhibition hall 8a with its 13,000 m² of space. Amateur and professional windsurfers will be meeting there to talk about the latest trends in the community. All trend sport operations, i.e. information, advice and sales, are being concentrated for the fi rst time in the large Hall 8a right next to the North Entrance. boot Düsseldorf is the biggest boat and water sports trade fair in the world and is the place where all of the industry meets in January every year. More than 1,800 exhibitors, 900 of them from more than 60 countries apart from Germany, will be presenting their interesting innovations, attractive developments and maritime equipment.

www.boat-duesseldorf.com

π INDOOR WAVE: Boot Düsseldorf has great focus on surfi ng and watersport. In 2018 windsurfi ng will be highlighted on the world´s biggest indoor marine fair. (Photo: Messe Düsseldorf/ctillmann) WORLD RACE: The Clipper Round the World Race is a sailing race around the world in 8 legs, with trained amateur crew members and a professional skipper on each yacht. The yachts are all identical Clipper 70. (Photo: Jimmy Baikovicius)

CREW DIED AFTER FALLING OVER BOARD

Aparticipant in the Clipper Round the World Race died after going overboard. Simon Speirs, 60, from Bristol went overboard on November 18 while on the foredeck helping change the yacht’s No 3 yankee headsail, according to Yachting World. The yacht was in the Southern Indian Ocean, between South Africa and Australia, and was racing in winds gusting to 40 knots. According to a report from organising company Clipper Ventures, Speirs was clipped on with a lifeline, but became separated from the yacht. He was successfully recovered on board 36 minutes later but was unable to be resuscitated.

Speirs is the second crewmember that dies after falling over board in the Clipper Round the World Race in less than three years.

In April 2016, Sarah Young, 40-year old company owner from London, died after falling overboard in the Pacifi c Ocean, while competing in the same race.

www.yachtingworld.com