Flight study of Oracle's AC72
It all looks smart, uncomplicated and child's play: when Cup defender Oracle Team USA races across the Bay in the AC72 number 17, which was badly damaged in a capsize in the autumn and then completely overhauled, it's not just sailing fans who have to look. Many mouths remain open, especially when the thing comes shooting along on the centreboards that have been converted into hydrofoils. But the type of boat with which the next America's Cup will be sailed and which is to be abolished immediately afterwards is a complex experiment that transfers the concept of the small foiling moths to 72-foot catamarans, which are also equipped with a gigantic wing rig.
From 20 knots upwards, everything seems calm. "At the beginning, you find it unnatural when the boat jumps out of the water and sails on the hydrofoils," says wing trimmer Kyle Langford. "Then there's the dampening effect in big waves, where the boat no longer pitches. It's an interesting feeling that not many people get to experience."
In flat water, these projectiles reach top speeds of well over 40 knots. This requires incredible precision, as any mistake at this speed can have fatal consequences. But to sail that fast at all, you need guys who can get to grips with it. People joke that AC72 teams consist of a helmsman and ten grinders. This is no coincidence, because everything that is under load on this boat - winches, hydraulic trim systems and stays - is moved exclusively by muscle power. And that comes from the men at the grinders. They used to be more of a footnote, but now they are the stars because they are at the throttle.
"At last we are the kings of the sport and in command on board," jokes Craig Monk, the muscle-bound New Zealander who once won an Olympic bronze medal in the Finn and now works for Artemis Racing. Just like the short AC races on the Bay, after the manoeuvre is always before the next manoeuvre. For Monk and his colleagues, this means that they will be turning the cranks for practically the entire duration, i.e. around 40 minutes. And his colleague Chris Brittle compares it to rugby, where the player first runs, which requires aerobic fitness, then has to call on power to push at the scrum before continuing on the run.
Shannon Falcone from Oracle takes a philosophical view: "You have a boat weighing over seven tonnes that cruises along at over 40 knots on tiny hydrofoils. And you think: I hope it holds. Because it would be disastrous if it didn't."
