Everything in small steps. This is the motto of Oracle Team USA in San Francisco when rigging and launching their new AC72 catamaran, the type of boat on which the America's Cup will be sailed next year. Just lifting the 40 metre high wing mast into a vertical position is a mega-act, which was successfully practised the day before yesterday. "It's just one small tick on a long checklist," warns Mark "Tugboat" Turner, head of the shipyard crew.
The Americans are following in the footsteps of the New Zealanders, who launched the very first AC72 and have already completed three training sessions. In terms of appearance, the AC72s are similar to the standardised AC45 class familiar from the America's Cup World Series. But that is deceptive. "Compared to the AC45s, these boats are twice as long, have five times more power and are a hundred times more complicated," explains Dirk Kramers, one of the 25 designers. "They are also 25 per cent faster and should reach up to 40 knots."
Everything is built from carbon fibre, with the hulls made locally by the in-house boatbuilding team, while the crossbeams come from Core Builders Composites in New Zealand, where the AC45s are also built. The next step is to lift the wing onto the chassis and test the highly complex hydraulics and electronics used for the sail trim controls and steering. Before it can go out on the water, various load tests must also be completed, which the engineers monitor closely before giving the go-ahead. If everything goes well, the first round will be sailed on Friday.
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