America's Cup - Groupama Team France launch videos
by Sail-World.com NZL on 14 Jul 2016
Groupama Team France with Michel Desjoyeaux, Franck Cammas, Alain Prost and Olivier de Kersauson - Groupama Team France launch of its Test AC45S in Lorient, France, July 11, 2016 Eloi Stichelbaut
On Monday, Groupama Team France launched their AC45S test platform in Lorient, France.
While the AC50 which the teams will sail in the 35th America's Cup is a strict one design, the hulls of the French AC45S are quite a departure from the approach adopted by the other teams in their Surrogate boats which generally mimic the 5ft longer AC50.
The rig on the AC45S appears to be an AC50 legal wingsail shape. Aside from the bulbous bedecked bows and signature bow chines from head designer Juan Kouyoumdjian, the AC45S should replicate the larger AC50.
The insetting of rudders inside the waterline length of the AC45 hulls means that the geometry of the AC45 cannot be the same as the larger AC50 in respect of the fore and aft separation of the foils.
From the published dimensions of the French AC45S the maximum beam is only a few millimetres less than the maximum beam of 8.480m permitted in the AC50 rule. The stated displacement at 2450kgs is outside the AC50 range of 2300-2400kgs sailing weight.
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