An interview with Lyles Forbes about the Mariners' Museum Cup exhibit

by David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor on 1 Jun 2017 Irrespective of one’s preferred stripes in sailing and in life, one of the most intriguing aspects of North American history is our proud seafaring traditions that began with the Pilgrims and quickly progressed to Clipper Ships, then steam-fired vessels, then nuclear-powered ships and submarines (not to mention Ford-class aircraft carriers), then-in a move that shows how circular technology can sometimes be-wingsail-powered multihulls that “fly” on hydrofoils at speeds greatly exceeding the wind. While Americans can’t claim credit for bringing foiling into the America’s Cup (the Kiwis hold that honor), we were the first nation to win the Auld Mug on hydrofoils (2013), and we are looking solid in the racing leading up to the 35th America’s Cup (AC35) later this month.

For those of you who can’t make it to Bermuda to watch the racing in person, The Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News, Virginia, has opened a new exhibit, Speed and Innovation in the America’s Cup, that aims to share some history and Cup excitement with its visitors.

The Mariners’ Museum and Park, it was founded by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, drawing on wisdom and inspiration from Homer L. Ferguson, and is situated within a 550-acre parcel (including a five-mile shoreline trail) on the shores of Lake Maury in Newport News, Virginia. The museum’s focus is international, and their collection now includes more than 32,000 objects, 78,000 books, 800,000 images (including photographs, films, and negatives), and more than one million pieces of archival material. All told, this proud collection ranges from items from the American Civil War to pieces from Europe, the West Indies and beyond.

Much more recently, The Mariners’ Museum and Park was given a rather unusual, 72-foot donation in the form of USA-17, the AC72-class yacht that Oracle Team USA, the current Defender of the America’s Cup, used to retain control of the Auld Mug in 2013. I caught up with Lyles Forbes, The Mariners' Museum’s VP of collections and chief curator, via email to learn more about this unusual donation and the museum’s exciting new America’s Cup exhibit.

Can you give us a 35,000’ view of the upcoming Speed and Innovation Exhibit?
Speed and Innovation in the America’s Cup focuses upon the incredible story of Oracle Team USA’s dramatic comeback from 8-1 to win the Cup over Emirates Team New Zealand in 2013. It is one of the most compelling stories in sports history–and visitors can stand beneath the winning boat and experience the drama of the 34th America’s Cup all over again!

But it is also about the amazing technology and science that has created the revolution taking place in the America’s Cup. We explore the difference between monohulls and catamarans; how the J-foils and the T-foils work to lift the platform out of the water; how the massive rigid wing sail functions; the various materials used on the boat; and, the science behind what it takes to be a competitive sailor at the highest level of racing.

How close will visitors be able to get to USA 17, as well as her wing and foils?
USA 17 is displayed above the exhibition, however visitors will be able to get close enough to the foils and the hulls to see a lot of detail. USA 17 is suspended eight feet into the air, so visitors literally walk right beneath it and will be able to grasp the massiveness of these yachts. There are also a number of places in the exhibition to be able to see the entire platform as well.

Will USA 17 be exhibited fully assembled (read: wing stepped), or will she be in modular mode (read: wing unstepped), much like when visitors toured team based in San Francisco? Also, will she be displayed inside or outside of the museum?
USA 17 is displayed inside the museum in our largest exhibition space – the newly named Gallery 17. The huge wing sail was not part of the donation, so only the platform is displayed. However, we will display a rigid wing sail from the 1950s that was built for the sailing hydrofoil Monitor that is also in our collection. Monitor was sailing at 30.4 knots in 1955 with cotton sails! We have some great video of that boat in Speed and Innovation.

Am I correct that USA 17 will become a permanent part of the museum’s collection, or will she eventually be returned to Oracle? Also, can you fill us in on any interesting backstory as to how USA 17 came to be exhibited at The Mariner’s Museum?
USA 17is a permanent part of the Museum’s collection. We began talking with Oracle Racing over a year ago as we were developing the exhibition, about the possibility of having a high-tech catamaran on display. We really wanted to connect with a different audience that wasn’t primarily focused on the historical J-class yachts of the 1930s or the 12-meter boats of 1950s – 1980s; so we really wanted one of the new type of boats on display that visitors could get close to and watch on television during the 35th Defense.

Will the museum also offer a multi-media display that shows video footage of the boats in action, as well as other interactive displays? If so, can you tell us about the museum's plans for this?
Speed and Innovation has a huge multimedia component – covering everything from the 2013 Comeback, to hydrodynamics and aerodynamics, as well as crew training in the lead up to this year’s America’s Cup. USA 17 has a commanding presence in the gallery and that is supported by a number of large format photographs as well as video and audio presentations. It is a very active and exciting space.

How much attention will the exhibit draw to some of the last-minute modifications that were made to USA 17? (For example, the interceptors that were added to the hulls, or the bulbs that were added to the rudder foils.) Or, will the exhibit focus more on the human element of OTUSA’s impressive comeback?
Visitors will definitely be able to see the interceptors as well as the forward/aft rake angles of the J-foils. Our Navigator guides will be on hand in the galleries to point out various details and answer questions. Jack Griffin, our guest curator and the editor of www.cupexperience.com has written the authoritative work Turning the Tide: How Oracle Team USA Defended the America’s Cup in which he explains a lot of those modifications. Jack donated the electronic version of the book to the Museum, and we have it available on a J-foil-shaped USB flash drive along with two videos that the museum produced when the platform arrived from California earlier this year. The flash drive is available in our gift shop for $23.95.

What are the official dates that visitors can enjoy the entire Speed and Innovation Exhibit?
Speed and Innovation in the America’s Cup opens to the public on Saturday, May 27th, 2017, and will be open indefinitely.

Anything else that you’d like to add, for the record?
Speed and Innovation in the America’s Cup is dynamically changing The Mariners’ Museum. USA 17 allows us to explore many avenues and connections with other types of maritime technology and stories within our collection. We have so many ways to explore not only the history and evolution of the America’s Cup, but also connections to the Polynesians who built and perfected the first catamarans; as well as many other parts of our collection. But the story of one of the greatest comebacks in sports history will always be a featured part of a visit to The Mariners’ Museum and Park.