Please select your home edition
Edition
Allen Dynamic 40 Leaderboard

America's Cup- Emirates Team NZ's Nick Holroyd on the design process

by ETNZBlog on 8 Nov 2012
Nick Holroyd (Design Co-ordinator) and Grant Dalton (CEO) in front of the first AC72 for Emirates Team NZ Richard Gladwell www.photosport.co.nz

A few weeks ago, Dave Reed, editor of the US magazine Sailing World, interviewed Emirates Team New Zealand technical director Nick Holroyd. The story offers an interesting insight into the AC72 design process. Part 1 of his report:

As the 34th America’s Cup draws nearer, the development of the America’s Cup 72 catamaran moves into overdrive. Emirates Team New Zealand hit the water first and fast. Dave Reed interviews Nick Holroyd who admits: 'It’s far more complex than anything I’ve ever been involved in.'

Holroyd, who’s been in the America’s Cup game since 1997, oversees the collective brainpower of more than 30 engineers, designers, and programmers —all tied together in a complex web with the AC72 catamaran at its centre.

The end game is to usurp the Auld Mug from its formidable defender, Oracle Team USA, but the playbook is wide open. Wings, hulls, hydrofoils, rigging, electronics, and manpower are the core elements of these new craft, but for each known entity, says Holroyd, there is another unknown.

In an exclusive interview following the August launch of Emirates Team New Zealand’s first AC72, Holroyd explains where they’re at with the first of their two boats, and where they may go before next summer’s Louis Vuitton Cup.

When you were handed the AC72 rulebook, where did the team begin, and where did you put your efforts straightaway
Intuition tells you that there are areas where you think you’re going to find big gains. The wing is an interesting one. Structurally it’s quite complex, but making it easy to use on the water so that you can get optimal shapes easily and repeatedly is important.

The aircraft industry has bequeathed us a lot of knowledge already, so the aerodynamics of the wing is not as complex as you might think. With the platform, what’s important is to quickly get to a level where your velocity predictions are good.

Once you get to that level, you can start looking at the drag breakdown, and that denotes where to put your effort. We have to put more effort into the bigger ticket items like the wings and platforms, which require longer lead times to design and build.

With a compressed racecourse on San Francisco Bay and relatively short legs, how do you weigh straight-line speed versus faster manoeuvres?
A lot of the manoeuvres will come down to the fact that you’re seriously understaffed in terms of the loads involved [with 11 sailing crew], so keeping systems simple is key.

Boats that go fast in a straight line tend to go fast out of manoeuvres as well. Bow volume, from what I’ve seen, is an obvious difference across the fleet so far. That dictates how hard you can lean on the boat coming out of manoeuvres. Also, the ergonomics of the boat and the platform, and being able to handle the loads on the boat efficiently are critical.

For the rest of this interview http://etnzblog.com/#!2012/11/ac72-design-hanging-it-all-together!click_here
Lloyd Stevenson - AC Alinghi 1456x180px BOTTOMPredictWind - Routing 728x90 BOTTOMMaritimo M600

Related Articles

2025 WASZP Pre-Games in Weymouth starts today
131 boats from 18 countries prepare ahead of the main event The 2025 WASZP Pre-Games in Weymouth has become a magnet for the international foiling community. With 131 boats entered from 18 countries, this event is more than just a tune-up—it's a snapshot of the class's spirit.
Posted today at 5:33 am
SailGP: Stands go up in Portsmouth
The grandstand is in place and prominent on the Portsmouth shoreline, in readiness for the weekend The grandstand is in place and prominent on the Portsmouth shoreline, in readiness for this weekend's SailGP event, which marks the start of the European circuit for the League's Season 5.
Posted today at 12:22 am
America's Cup: Azzurra Challenge
Azzurra's 1983 debut turned Italian sailing into a national interest. Italy has one of the most passionate and enduring histories in the America's Cup. Azzurra's 1983 debut turned Italian sailing into a national interest.
Posted on 15 Jul
The Ocean Cleanup's 30 Cities Program
A look at The Ocean Cleanup and its the 30 Cities Program The cliche goes that one should avoid meeting one's heroes, as there's always a chance that the flesh-and-blood person might not live up to expectations. While I've never met Boyan Slat, I'd gladly take this risk.
Posted on 15 Jul
Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta day 3
Mother Nature teases the competitors Mother Nature teased the competitors today and made them wait a bit, but she did not disappoint; the sun came out and a big westerly built to 18-20 knots!
Posted on 15 Jul
The Iconic Admiral's Cup Returns!
Harken UK caught up with the RORC CEO and Admiral's Cup sailors ahead of the event After a long hiatus, this prestigious international yachting regatta makes its grand comeback from 17- 31 July at The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) in Cowes, Isle of Wight.
Posted on 15 Jul
Excellent Olympic Season Openers for GP Watercraft
Bermudan ILCA sailors enjoy a strong start to the season! The first two Olympic events of 2025 proved a very positive start to the season for GP Watercraft and their Bermudan ILCA sailors: Sebastian Kempe (ILCA 7) and Adriana Penruddocke (ILCA 6) who are both coached by Shaun Priestley of GP Watercraft.
Posted on 15 Jul
A century of human endeavour
The Fastnet Race is regarded as one of offshore sailing's most complete proving grounds For 100 years, the Rolex Fastnet Race has been regarded as one of offshore sailing's most complete proving grounds. It is a place where ambitions and dreams meet harsh reality, where skill, endurance and fortitude are severely tested.
Posted on 15 Jul
Martine Grael in Racing on the Edge
First female driver to win a Fleet Race captured in behind-the-scenes documentary Major milestone moment for SailGP captured in behind-the-scenes documentary series, which reaches 10 million total viewers since launching in 2021.
Posted on 15 Jul
Get ready to celebrate world's best sailing photos
16th edition of the Pantaenius Yacht Racing Image Award Professional photographers from around the globe are invited to submit their best yacht racing images captured between October 14, 2024, and October 12, 2025.
Posted on 15 Jul