Skipper and executive director Terry Hutchinson (left) and the American Magic CEO, Bella Mente’s Hap Fauth (above). With Roger Penske, the other member of American Magic’s senior management is Doug DeVos, owner of Quantum Sails and skipper of the Quantum Racing TP52. Hutchinson has been racking up world titles with both men for years so this is a well-tested group of highly competitive and well-resourced individuals all with experience of big programmes; it is going to be a big ask to unseat the Defender first time around but some of their rival challengers may be in for a nasty surprise
and a proper budget. Remember that just a metre separated him from Alinghi in the pivotal race of the 2007 Match. The team’s COO Rob Ouellette works
skillfully and happily away behind the scenes, but he is well regarded among the Cup family and his consummate organisational skills are a huge asset for the team. Like Hutchinson, he also has operating responsibilities in the Bella Mente programme.
The team Then there’s Bristol’s Joe Brito. Though not part of American Magic, he’s the reason they’re in Bristol. When Hall Spars closed their original US operation in early 2017 our building was sold to Joe. Joe’s one of Bristol’s characters. He is extremely success- ful in heavy construction, succeeding his father who started the family business from nothing about 100 years ago. He is also a lifelong sailor. He is a member of both Bristol and New York Yacht Club. He is very active and generous in civic affairs and has an infectious style that lifts everyone up with his enthusiasm (one of Joe’s more entertaining skill is running auctions… He may not have the rapid fire, un-understand- able word-stream of the professional auc- tioneer but he makes up for it in creativity. I once watched him auction off an empty Coke can for $2,300, to the rapt attention and cheering of a charity audience). When Joe heard that the new NYYC
team would challenge for the America’s Cup he wasted no time making the ex-Hall Spars building available to them at attrac- tive terms, so they’d build their boat in Bristol, a continuing dream of just about every native Bristolian… including this one. I mentioned above that I wasn’t allowed
into the raceboat shop itself, but I can prob- ably describe it better than some American
58 SEAHORSE
Magic team members. They are building the boats in the building Hall Spars first opened in 2004. The building on 33 Broadcommon Road is no stranger to the America’s Cup. The first mast out of the factory was Mascalzone Latino’s ACC rig in early 2005. That was followed by several masts for eventual Cup winner Alinghi. For the 2010 Cup Hall delivered two of BMW Oracle’s wing-shaped masts before the team built their incredible game-changing wing. American Magic are building their boats
in the original Hall Spars clean room where Ben and I spent more time than we did in the office, making all sorts of things includ- ing A-Cat masts, aeroplane wheel parts, a pair of 1m model sailboats to check out new rig ideas, golf clubs with airfoil-shaped shafts (which of course improve swing speed!), not to mention new ideas for mast building like drill jigs, moulds and count- less other advanced composite tools. Also being used are the 200ft paint and ex-SCR carbon rigging shops. We’re both very proud that not only are the team building their challenger in Bristol, but also that it’s in our own building where so much yacht racing history was written. Leading the build operation is Tim
Hackett, manager of the Bristol facility. Tim was a key figure in the Comanche build. Brandon Linton, whose specific responsibility is head of composite con- struction, was recently part of the Artemis programme; before that he led the Comanche build with Hackett. While Ben Ainslie and Team Ineos beat
everyone by a mile to 2021 America’s Cup on-the-water testing, Ben’s test boat used an existing (Quant 23) hull that was well inside rule maximums. American Magic chose to take the slightly longer route, hitting the water six months after the British team with
a ‘rule’ model to maximum dimensions. Under the cover of darkness at oh-dark-
thirty, one chilly November day, the team brought the boat to the Hinckley facilities in nearby Portsmouth and had it in the water and sailing before most in the local sailing world knew what happened. Although more than a little bit tight-lipped about operations, Terry Hutchinson con- firmed to me that, yes, they really did hit foiling mode quickly, as immediate video footage suggested. These days most if not all teams have their own building teams, and all are first rate. Still it’s a testament to Hutchinson, designer Marcelino Botín, Rob Ouellette and the factory guys for getting such a fine test boat converted and sailing so seamlessly on their first try. Since then training has been pretty much
non-stop in Pensacola, Florida. Trying to get any information at all out of team members is still a waste of time. They wouldn’t even admit whether they’d capsized yet. ‘You’ll just have to ask the spies who watch us daily,’ said Hutchinson only half tongue in cheek. Phil Lotz did say they are making progress especially with the corners… ‘but the real problem is time: it compresses so quickly developing any new class.’ The new boat is well along and would
have launched on 31 March if the foil system from the Cup organisation hadn’t hit structural problems. Rob Ouellette is now looking at a Rhode Island launch in mid-summer. Meanwhile, the Florida test- ing Mule returns to Newport this month. Much will be expected of this return of
the NYYC to the Cup. But it’s clear they have the stuff to be formidable challengers to Team New Zealand. In the years after 1983 the chances of seeing the Cup return to Newport in my lifetime seemed dimmer and dimmer. Now, well…
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