New AC40 Tow Tested

Yesterday I saw the Netflix doc on the 1983 Americas Cup, the story behind Australia II, Bertrand, Lexcen et all. Really well done. What I liked is how the breakthrough innovation at the time came not from an expert Phd Engineer but from someone like Lexcen without much formal high education but plenty of experience and clear innate talent for design.

He might have been helped on the winged keel design, but he was responsible to put it on the table and push to implement it. Aside the Aussie great design/build and sailing work lead by Bertrand, I didn’t knew Conner was so close to retain the Cup.

The documentary ends with AMagic AC75 flying in Newport, and I think Lexcen , Bertrand , Bond and the entire Australia II team deserve recognition as major players to reach current AC status.

AC75 was conceived by Pro Engineers but they thought outside the box too, and managed to get these awesome Alien boats to perform.

Development in sailing its a great aspect of our sport, and teams like New Zealand are always pushing the boundaries, as they did with greatest innovation and rules break through in the Cup ever, that incredible Flying Tractor.

Below details on the Youth AC40 sent by Emirates Team New Zealand media.

EXCITING NEW AC40 IS TOW TESTED BEHIND HYDROGEN POWERED CHASE ZERO

Auckland – 20th September 2022

The exciting new AC40 that will be used to pave the way for women and youth into the America’s Cup has touched the water for the first time in Auckland today with Emirates Team New Zealand continuing its extensive commissioning process out of the shed and onto the water.

Christened by Emirates Team New Zealand designer Elise Beavis at the team’s new base on Wynyard Point, the AC40 was launched and towed out to Auckland’s upper harbour by ‘Chase Zero’ the teams hydrogen powered foiling chase boat. A spectacular sight of two revolutionary vessels both designed, built and now launched since the end of the 36th America’s Cup.

The AC40 in its one design configuration will be raced using auto pilot flight control, but the commissioning requires a stepped process taking it from a manual foiling and flight control configuration before switching on the auto pilot as part of the controlled tow testing of sensors, foil trims and targets

Helming for the tow testing was Nathan Outteridge and Ray Davis on their respective port and starboard sides, with Nick Burridge and Sam Meech in the aero trimming seats to the aft.

“It was amazing at how well the flight control auto pilot worked, right from the get-go on our tow test today.” explained Ray Davies. “It is a credit to the mechatronics team, the design group, the shore team and everyone that has been working so hard to splash the AC40.”

Nick Burridge, Emirates Team New Zealand Operations and Reliability Manager said “This was our first day out on the water in a long time, it was both a glimpse into the future and a significant step forward and in where the preparations for the 37th America’s Cup event have come.

If someone was to say last time we were on the water that we would be tow testing a completely new class of boat designed for the Women and Youth America’s Cup behind a Hydrogen powered foiling chase boat you wouldn’t have believed it, but here we are.”

The commissioning continued into the afternoon with the rig being stepped to check the rigging and sails. The forecast looks favourable to sheet on and take the AC40 for its first maiden sail to continue ticking the boxes of the overall commissioning process.