The New Zealand challengers have presented their catamaran to the public for the first time. The 40 metre high wing was placed on the 72 foot long catamaran substructure and subjected to initial load tests. These reportedly went off without a hitch.
The wing is twice as high as that of the AC-45 catamarans and has three times the surface area, making it larger overall than the wing of a Boeing 747. The catamaran is strongly reminiscent of the "Alinghi V" from the last Cup: two hulls connected by a spider-web-like network of struts and stays.
The boat will be presented to the New Zealand public in a big show on Saturday.
"We've been working almost non-stop for the last 35 days," said Team Principal Grant Dalton. "With the mess that Oracle and Alinghi made last time, it's incredible that we've got this far. Especially when you consider how much money has been lost."
Despite Oracle's alleged technological lead, he sees opportunities for his team: "Oracle and Artemis (the first challenger, editor's note) can run unlimited projects with their unlimited budgets and possibly also find new areas of speed. But for us, time is of the essence. There's not enough of it left. Because even if you have enough money and think you've found a safe route but don't have enough time to take it, it can be very expensive."
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
