AC72
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| AC72 | |
|---|---|
 DutchTreat · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source | |
| Name | AC72 class |
| Type | Foiling wing-sailed catamaran |
| Crew | 11 |
| Designer | Oracle Team USA designers, Luna Rossa designers, Emirates Team New Zealand designers |
| Launched | 2013 |
| Role | America's Cup class yacht |
| Displacement | ~5–7 tonnes |
| Length overall | 72 ft (21.9 m) |
| Beam | variable (approx. 40 ft / 12 m) |
| Sail area | variable (wing sail equivalent up to ~500 m²) |
| Propulsion | wind, hydrofoils |
AC72
The AC72 was a high‑performance foiling wing‑sail catamaran developed for the 34th America's Cup, bringing radical changes to Oracle Team USA, Emirates Team New Zealand, and Luna Rossa Challenge campaigns. Conceived to produce extreme speeds and dramatic match racing, the class catalyzed intensive innovation among Team New Zealand, Artemis Racing, and Ben Ainslie Racing affiliates, while drawing scrutiny from International Jury panels and Sailing World commentators. The AC72 era combined naval architecture, composite engineering, and professional syndicate management at an unprecedented scale for America's Cup competition.
Design and Development
Design work for the AC72 involved collaborative and competitive efforts among designers associated with Oracle Team USA, Emirates Team New Zealand, and Luna Rossa Challenge, building upon prior research by BMW Oracle Racing and lessons from the Multihull experiments of the 2010 America's Cup. Naval architects from firms linked to Murray & Associates and consultants with ties to Aeroelasticity specialists contributed foil concepts and wing sail aerodynamics that echoed technologies used in Red Bull Air Race composites and NASA wind‑tunnel methodologies. The class rules permitted wide interpretation of beam, foil geometry, and wing chord, prompting design races between syndicates backed by industrial partners such as BMW, Oracle Corporation, and national sailing federations like Yacht Racing Association affiliates. Rule arbitration by the America's Cup Event Authority led to iterative amendments that influenced foil cross‑section, control systems, and safety requirements.
Construction and Materials
AC72 hulls and crossbeams were constructed using advanced composite processes from suppliers affiliated with Gurit, Hexcel, and Sikorsky supply chains, employing pre‑preg carbon fiber, Nomex cores, and epoxy systems derived from aerospace practice used by Airbus and Boeing. Wing sails were manufactured by lofts connected to North Sails and Quantum Sails technologies, incorporating rigid high‑modulus spars and articulated flap mechanisms inspired by aerospace control surfaces developed at MIT and Imperial College London. Foils—sometimes canted daggerboards and T‑foils—used titanium fittings and stainless steel sleeves produced by vendors linked to Artemis Technologies prototypes and standards similar to Royal Navy engineering tolerances. Boatyards with connections to Persico Marine and Cookson Boatbuilders adapted production lines to permit rapid prototype iterations under sponsorship from corporates such as Emirates and Oracle Corporation.
Performance and Specifications
As 72‑foot multihulls designed for foiling, AC72 yachts typically displaced in the 5–7 tonne range, with overall beam dimensions often approaching 40 feet when crew and wing trimming were accounted for, mirroring dimensional experimentation by Ben Ainslie Racing affiliates. Wing sail effective areas varied by design; peak aerodynamic loads were managed using hydraulic and electric systems related to components from Siemens and Bosch suppliers. When foiling, AC72s achieved speeds exceeding those of prior America's Cup classes, regularly surpassing 40 knots in qualifying conditions and peaking above 45 knots in race reports involving Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New Zealand. Maneuvering envelopes, tacking radii, and VMG profiles produced unprecedented tactical dynamics that reshaped match strategies formerly seen in AmericaOne and Team New Zealand campaigns.
Racing History and Notable Events
The AC72 class featured prominently in the 34th America's Cup held in San Francisco Bay in 2013, contested by syndicates including Oracle Team USA, Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa Challenge, Artemis Racing, and Bermuda‑affiliated challengers. Key regatta moments involved dramatic come‑from‑behind series recoveries, protest hearings before the International Jury, and high‑visibility media coverage by outlets such as NBC Sports and Sky Sports. Standout events included record‑setting run reports by Oracle Team USA and tactical duels with Emirates Team New Zealand that influenced subsequent rulemaking. Several AC72s were damaged or lost during training and regattas, prompting inquiries by syndicate owners, national federations like US Sailing, and insurers connected to Lloyd's of London.
Safety Concerns and Incidents
The extreme performance of AC72s raised significant safety concerns involving crews from syndicates such as Artemis Racing and Oracle Team USA, with incidents during training leading to severe injuries and at least one fatality linked to a capsize during a test session, triggering investigations by Maritime Accident Investigation bodies and scrutiny from World Sailing governance structures. Catastrophic structural failures and high‑speed pitchpoling highlighted risks associated with foil cavitation, control system failures, and human factors reminiscent of incidents reviewed by AAIB and NTSB in other transportation contexts. In response, the America's Cup Event Authority implemented emergency structural reinforcements, modified procedural safety protocols, mandated personal protective equipment from suppliers with ties to Musto and Helly Hansen, and required limits on training sites near landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge.
Legacy and Influence on Future America's Cup Classes
The AC72 era left a profound legacy influencing the design of subsequent America's Cup classes, including the AC50 and later foiling monohulls and multihulls developed by Team New Zealand and INEOS Britannia‑linked projects. Technical lessons concerning foil stability, wing sail control, and composite integrity informed regulatory evolution by World Sailing and the America's Cup Event Authority, impacting supplier relationships with North Sails, SAP data analytics teams, and composite manufacturers like Gurit. The spectacle and controversy of the AC72 campaigns accelerated media partnerships with NBC Sports Group and global syndicates, while prompting national training programs in nations such as New Zealand, Italy, and United States to invest in foiling research centers and university collaborations with Auckland University of Technology and University of Southampton labs.