truly independent management of the racing,” said Vincenzo Onorato, President of Mascalzone Latino. “This change should’ve happened


years ago in my opinion. I can see why this important development could last for many years in the future,” Onorato said.


Limits on the number of boats, sails,


equipment and support boats, as well as the introduction of no-sail periods will bring significant cost savings for all competitors. Crew sizes will be reduced to 11 members from 17. For the first time onboard


cameramen will be part of the innovative media model that is designed to significantly enhance the television broadcasts and internet content in an effort to grow audiences and bring added value to teams and partners. In releasing the Protocol, the


Defender has forfeited some of the rights traditionally enjoyed by the holder of the trophy in the interest of making the competition more balanced and fair. Majority approval of the competitors is required to amend the Protocol.


“During our six months of planning


we spoke to the teams, to commercial partners, to media and to the fans. A clear and compelling vision emerged – that to capture and communicate the excitement our sport can produce, we need the best sailors racing the fastest boat in the world,” Coutts said. In an effort to develop the next


generation of best sailors, the new AC45 will be used for the Youth America’s Cup beginning in 2012, a new initiative to provide young sailors a pathway to the America’s Cup. With today’s release of the Protocol,


class of boat and year in which the match will be held, three of the four cornerstones for the 34th Match are in place. The final piece, the venue, is scheduled to be announced by the end of the year.


For More information on the 34th America’s cup, visit: www.americascup.com/ The Golden Gate Yacht Club www.ggyc.com/ BMW/Oracle Racing bmworacleracing.com


In the 34th


America’s Cup the best sailors in the world will meet their ultimate match; the fastest boat in the world. Te c h n o l o g y


returns to the fore with the AC72 wingsail America’s Cup catamaran, capable of regularly exceeding speeds of 30 knots. The AC72 will


excite fans as it zips around the racecourse with one hull in the air. Equally


important, it will leave the crews exhilarated and drained after a day of adrenaline-fueled racing. Crucial to the new boat is its ability


to be raced hard in light and strong winds, a necessary development to do away with the frustrating delays of racing because of not enough wind or too much. Fast to grab and retain the


attention of a new audience, it also had to be technically stimulating to design and physically demanding for the crew to sail. There will only be 11 crewmembers,


six fewer than the heavy-displacement ACC monohull it replaces. “The AC72 Class adds a new


dimension to America’s Cup design and technology,” said Pete Melvin, a chief architect of the rule and champion multihull sailor. “The AC72 will place exacting demands on the helmsman, crew and support team


that the vast majority of us who call ourselves ‘weekend racers’ could never hope to develop.” The new class


of America’s Cup catamaran is a tightly defined “box rule.” Certain parameters have been set, such as overall length, beam, displacement and sail area. Other factors are limited to keep the competition c l o s e a c r o s s all wind speeds. S o


that no team would have an unfair


advantage by creating the rule, US SAILING and Morrelli & Melvin Design & Engineering authored the rule.


“Near the beginning of the


process we were requested to look at a catamaran instead of a trimaran because it’s easier to transport, assemble and disassemble,” Melvin said.


“The difference in the


performance characteristics is not significant, and a cat was judged less expensive to build. From there, the experience of two America’s Cups in which wingsails were used (1988 and 2010), coupled with the latest developments in wingsail technology, made it natural to morph the design rule into a catamaran with a wingsail,” said Melvin. .


Continued on following page 48° NORTH, OCTOBER 2010 PAGE 31


New America’s Cup Class Boat Will Challenge Sailors


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