Alinghi's SUI-64 has now a bowsprit!!!
As we wrote a couple of days ago, activity in Port America's Cup has died down but although the whole basin looks deserted, the teams are far from resting. Not only do we have the frequent announcements of the begining of another boat construction process, we are also expecting the arrival of GER-89, the brand new German boat, as well as the relaunch of ITA-90, the new Mascalzone Latino - Capitalia Team boat that was damaged last month.
Not to be outdone, the Defender of the 32nd America's Cup gave us a nice surprise today. SUI-64, Alinghi's oldest boat, reappeared sporting a bowsprit, similar to the one USA-87, the boat of BMW Oracle, premiered here in Port America's Cup last March.
The question is whether Alinghi considers the bowsprit a great innovation and decided to modify SUI-64 in order to play with it and use it as a benchmark for their second new yacht. Unlike all challengers that have the intention to build a new boat will have to start doing it by September, Alinghi has the priviledge of an additional couple of months at their disposal to carry out further tests.
Closeup of the brand new bowsprit on SUI-64. Valencia, 14 July 2006. Photo by Leah Shalom / Valencia Sailing
Alinghi's shore crew working on SUI-64. Valencia, 14 July 2006. Photo by Leah Shalom / Valencia SailingSpeaking of bowsprits, USA-87 is back on water since a few days, sailing together with her sistership USA-76 off Valencia's coast. USA-87 and Luna Rossa's ITA-86 were heavilly damaged, the latter significantly more, during a collision in Louis Vuitton Act 12 two weeks ago. The bowsprit of USA-87 was severely damaged, but apparently it took the shore crew of the American America's Cup challenger only a few days to repair it.
BMW Oracle's USA-87 returning to the team base after a two-boat training session. Valencia, 14 July 2006. Photo by Leah Shalom / Valencia Sailing
BMW Oracle's USA-87 returning to the team base after a two-boat training session. Valencia, 14 July 2006. Photo by Leah Shalom / Valencia Sailing
3 Comments:
The big question is whether the Swiss boat hits the water with a new mast location. Oracle seems to have the bowsprit because they have gone with a radical balance solution, and the boat hasn't seemed to suffer handling problems, so it makes sense for a team like Alinghi, with a lot of time and an extra boat, to give it a try.
If you use a bowsprit is due to move fore the mast, Alinghi has time to test this and it's time, but the antena on bowsprit. What is this? Pitot tube?
Why inverse bow?
We see soon.
the thing on the end of the sprit is not an antenna it is a bit of batten ued to prevent the lazy spinnaker sheet from falling in the water as the sheets are carried outside the chute for outside gybing.
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