Emirates Team New Zealand, defender of the America's Cup, was spotted testing a new mainsail (see video). This is apparently inspired by a similar version used by the now eliminated challenger American Magic. Because of its resemblance to bat wings, it has also been given the name "Batwing", in reference to the comic character Batman.
This is a mainsail version with a shortened profile length. Simply put, several centimetres of the leech have been cut away, making it a narrower wing. This should bring advantages in wind speeds of 15 knots or more. The sail area would then no longer be needed to generate propulsion and would only produce unnecessary aerodynamic drag. Only the upper four metres of the mainsail can be adjusted by a mechanic (twist), as can only the lower 1.5 metres. The area in between adjusts itself, interpolates as it were.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
