Ineos had joined the consensus by the Prada Cup with the ‘unkinked’ foils shown opposite. Both American Magic and Prada have tried the minimal dihedral employed by the Defender but for the Prada Cup all three challengers had reverted to a similar Veed approach – though the plan and sections of the foils vary. Magic’s keel grew between the World Series and Prada Cup, but then the team seemed to lose faith in their downspeed abilities which may have contributed to pre-start errors. Patriot’s soft hull shape often looked right and the Americans were easily outsailing Luna Rossa in their fateful contest. We all hope that was not the end of the story…


measurement point, to where the step of the mast is supported by a 60cm-high pylon. Underneath, the flat lower hull flares aft


to end in a very open V-shape. What’s cer- tain is that all the ingredients that seemed to give an advantage on the first boats launched were exaggerated on this craft, whose shapes are innovative, to say the least. The arms of the foils are extended at the aft edges, the area left free for each competitor to create. The foils have a prominent, flat bulb with thin straight wings that are smaller than the chal- lengers’. Remember in Bermuda the New Zealanders managed to fly nicely and with thinner foils than their defeated rivals. If the first flights in steady breeze


seemed to be quite stable the difference in performance when the winds are less surprised us. The America’s Cup has often been con-


tested with a range of different skills and disparate sailboats. The winning team will be the one that will have found the most versatile boat, between technology and in the seafaring sense, in order to be able to exploit the full potential of these mono- hulls of the future.


Great expectations – Jean Sans Everyone knew that these machines flew, on this point there was no surprise. But a lot of people were whispering that


with these foilers it was the end of the circling before the start, of overlaps at the buoys, the sights that describe the history of the America’s Cup.


The reality From the first day of match racing before Christmas it is obvious that these boats can sail in close contact at speeds approaching 35, 38, 40kt and even more. It quickly becomes clear that top speed is not the only criterion for winning. Thus, Ineos UK, which is surely the


stretched TP52 shape, wide foils without any bulb at the intersection. The boldness was dramatic. Te Rehutai presented another surprise.


A wide ‘flan’ on top of the bow, with rounded edges, a sharp keel that starts at


the bowsprit, flares out to the horizontal, while a real keel, rounded, is added under- neath, to die away at a flat transom. These shapes would still be simple if on


the deck the central trench did not start so early, from the tack of the solent, a defined


fastest AC75 in a straight line when the wind is steady, will suffer six defeats out of the first six match races sailed in the opening three days. As well as top speed it is quickly obvi-


ous that other phases of navigation are essential to success: l Acceleration (and gentle deceleration) during manoeuvres including take-offs and landings


SEAHORSE 63


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