AC72 Class Rule finalized and published
[Source: BMW Oracle] From concept to completed Class Rule in less than four months, full details of the new high-performance wingsailed catamaran were published today.
The spectacular AC72 catamaran ensures that the 34th America’s Cup will feature the best sailors in the world on the fastest boats.
The AC72 Class Rule moves America’s Cup racing to catamarans with a speed potential of three times the wind speed, putting the venerable competition back at the forefront of technology.
The finalized class rule represents a tireless effort by Pete Melvin and his team at Morrelli & Melvin Design & Engineering Inc to create a new boat on behalf of the America’s Cup community.
On July 2, to ensure the rule was created independently, the defending Golden Gate Yacht Club and its sailing team BMW ORACLE Racing presented a two page concept paper to US SAILING and Morrelli & Melvin and asked them to turn it into a fully formed multihull design rule.
Throughout the AC72’s gestation, the fundamental requirements have remained unchanged:
• Ensure fast, exciting racing
• Challenge sailors and designers
• Capture fans’ imagination
• Be versatile across the wind range, to minimize race delays
• Be capable of competitive racing in light and strong winds
• Incorporate wide-ranging cost-reduction features
AC72 Key Features:
| Hull Length | 22.00 m (72 feet) |
| Lenght Overall | 26.20 m (85 feet) |
| Beam | 14.00 m (46 feet) |
| Weight (w/o crew) | 5,900 kg (13,000 pounds) |
| Crew | 11 |
| Maximum Draft | 4.40 m (14 feet) |
| Wingsail Height | 40.00 m (131 feet) |
| Tall Wingsail Area | 260.0 m2 (2,800 square feet) |
| Short Wingsail Area | 230.0 m2 (2,475 square feet) |
| Projected Top Speed | 32 knots |
| Onboard cameramen | 2 maximum |
| Cameramen positions | 3 (1 aft, 1 forward in each hull) |
| Remote TV cameras | 7 |
| High quality audio microphones | 18 (including 11 crew) |
| Easy assembly/disassembly | Under 48 hours |
“The AC72s will look amazing, will be very fast, and will take the America’s Cup into a new dimension,” said Melvin, himself a multihull champion.
“There will be nothing else like them, which perfectly matches the allure and appeal of the America’s Cup,” Melvin added. “We are grateful for the input of many, many designers, sailors and other experts.”
On September 16 a draft was circulated to potential teams and the sailing community at large. Since then over 500 comments were received and assimilated by Melvin’s team. Many have been incorporated into the final rule.
Teams may design and build a maximum of two AC72 catamarans. The AC72s will be raced from the 2012 season onwards in America’s Cup World Series events that will lead to the Selection Series and the America’s Cup Match in 2013.
In 2011, teams will compete in identical AC45’s, “the little sister with attitude.” This one-design catamaran will provide teams with state-of-the-art wingsail technology and fast-track their multihull racing skills.
Labels: 34th America's Cup, AC45, AC72, Pete Melvin
15 Comments:
Boaring.Yawn yawn yawn.
Priceless
great boat... but not for AC
ac72 = scaled-down a5 w. a wing, real creative with the hull development bor, pure genius
Ernesto... HEEEELLLLLPPPPPPPPPPPPP
THIS IS DISGUSTING. AND IT IS GONNA BE SO MUCH BORING. JUST LIKE A TORNADO CATAMARAN RACE.
Sailing Zorro
EXACTLY , PLEASE WATCH A TORNADO RACE ..OR THE LITTLE AC RACING ..AND TAKE A NAP ..THIS WILL BE SIMILAR , BUT JUST MORE EXPENSIVE
I have to do a barbecue , so maybe I can use this rule to increase the fire ....or a second use could be if you run out of toilet paper....
They talk about dinosaurs ...well a Catamaran Taking looks to me like a Tyrannosaurus Rex !! and in a match race we should see a lot of taking to make it fun to watch ....they are fuc..k..ing....crazy
They did all the media show since they wanted to show they where choosing the best format for the TV...and at the same time the guy working on the mono rule was month ahead of getting something ready and heard that he didn't got any help from Oracle ....THEY ARE LIARS
They should remember the Cup without the essence of it and the public into it is like having an old vase on the shelf !!!!!
Wow - Excellent new class for the AC! Can't wait to see them.
Dear sirs , honestly can not believe some people think this can be a good class for the AC . Have you ever seen a Cat race ? Have you see them tacking ? Have you see in a Cat race a Close Match Racing ? Please take a look to the 33rd Cup ...or the Little AC and please tell me if any of those races where suppose to be close racing .
To my understanding close racing is an RC44 a TP52 or many of the 32nd AC races which where great . You could argue the V5 where old .. which is true ...but the AC33 was a great platform to start a new mono hull rule
You might say this Cats are technology oriented which is 100% true , but this is not for the Cup and looking backwards is clear that Cats have been never be the core spirit of it apart from 2 DOG . See attached link to AC history :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America%27s_Cup
I think is very important to look into the tradition of the Cup , since the value of it lies there . Apart from this , is only an old Vase as some people says here .
I think Larry loves this game and I respect him for his tenacity , so he has the chance to bring the oldest Trophy competition to its peak improving the 32nd Cup which was a great event so I hope he manages to stop his Counselors and take it back to the path the Americas Cup and the Sailing world deserves
...and they keep insisting...
@3:33 AM
AC33 was a match between a Tri and a Cat. The Little AC final was contested by a Cat built in 2009 and one built in 2007 I believe. AC34 will be contested by boats of the same class rule and probably boats built in the same year. See the difference? Probably not...
I can see the difference and think it will make for a fair, even race. Looking forward to it, and the LV Cup.
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