Mold of new Chinese America's Cup yacht is ready

[Source: China Team] It is on its way! The mold for the future China America’s Cup yacht was validated last week. After several adjustments, “the good to go” was signed off by the China Team Design Team on Wednesday, August 23rd. The lay-up of the hull can start.

Daniel Andrieu, member of the China Team Design Team, has just made an express trip to Dong Guan. He spent two days on site, following the visit to the boatyard, at the beginning of the month by Luc Gellusseau and Pierre Massé. Welcomed by Lionel Antognelli, the local project manager, who is in charge of construction for the Chinese America’s Cup yacht, Daniel Andrieu was also present to validate or control the hull mold: "When I arrived, the mold was completely finished, and they were in the sanding phase. "I could do all the necessary verifications like measuring the line for the keel, the conformity of the hull sides, and make sure that there weren’t any deformities or concaves in the mold and that the surface was smooth." There is a precise and indispensable checklist to go through before starting definitively the construction of the hull. "There have been some small details which we could still improve, like small inflexions…luckily or else we would have come for nothing!"

The mold of the first ever chinese-built America's Cup yacht is now finished. As a result, construction of the hull can now start. Dong Guan, 23 August 2006. Photo copyright China Team

Since then, the final touches have been done, like placing different cleats so that the mold will be ready receive the elements needed to create the vacuum during the heating phase. This week, Lionel Antognelli has finished the complete check of the mold. In parallel, he received the necessary material for the next stage: nomex, glue cloth, pre-impregnated carbon and has finished a quality control with the objective being a perfect traceability of products and fabrication.

So the stratification consists of placing the carbon layers one on top of the other and allows the hull to start taking its shape. The lay-up will start at the end of the week, for delivery of the hull at the end of September, leaving the boatyard mid November and an arrival in Valencia mid December.