Sail-World.com : America's Cup: A quick look at University of Auckland's Yacht Research
America's Cup: A quick look at University of Auckland's Yacht Research
|
Many people wonder why New Zealand is able to produce so many good sailors and engineers. The sailors often come from the Lion Foundation's Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron's Youth Program, and designers and engineers come from The University of Auckland's Faculty of Engineering.
The really good ones do both.
The Engineering School at Auckland University has specialised in performance yacht research for more than 25 years, and has more alumni involved in the 34th America’s Cup than any other.
These include four times America’s Cup winner Russell Coutts, now CEO of Defender Oracle Team USA, and Tom Schnackenberg, the hugely respected sail designer for Australia II, who is currently a design consultant with Artemis Racing, Nick Holroyd, the technical director of Emirates Team NZ, and Burns Fallow, the sail design coordinator, are also both graduates of the Faculty.
Coutts is also an Olympic Gold Medalist. Other Olympic Medalists who have graduated from Auckland School of Engineering include Jo Aleh and John Cutler. Peter Burling is currently a student at the faculty, as is 2012 Olympic representative, Paul Snow-Hansen.
The Master of Engineering Studies in Yacht Engineering at The University of Auckland is a small-craft naval architecture degree which combines courses in materials, structures, boat design and manufacturing, computational fluid dynamics, and aerodynamics/hydrodynamics, with practical project work and field visits to leading boat building companies.
 | The Twisted Flow Wind Tunnel at University of Auckland - .. . |
The Faculty of Engineering also has a range of state-of-the-art facilities, including:
• A Yacht Research Unit which has been involved in the design and testing of boats competing in the America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, and many other regattas since its inception in 1987.
• Twisted Flow Wind Tunnel.
• Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel.
• Centre for Advanced Composite Materials.
• Light Metals Research Centre.
Students also have the opportunity to work alongside researchers with associated interests such as polymers, coatings, dynamic positioning and embedded systems.
To add a practical sailing dimension onto their degree studies, students are just up the road from the unique Auckland sailing environment which offers everything from being able to work with top Olympic sailors, to America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean race projects, superyacht construction, sail design and manufacture, spar design and manufacture, and rigging - all within a 10km radius of the University. The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, which operates its renowned youth training program – producing many top America’s Cup and Volvo Ocean race crews and helmsmen – is just 5kms from the University.
David le Pelly, now a member of Emirates Team NZ's design team responsible for Aero and Instrumentation gives a tour of the Auckland facility (apologies for the audio acoustics>
Ranked in the top 1% of world Universities, many international students travel to Auckland to study at the Faculty of Engineering because of the unique facilities it offers and environment in which it is located.
In this video, international student Fredrick Gerhardt, doing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Auckland, explains why he came to New Zealand.
Ben Goodwin, a three times NZ representative at ISAF Youth Worlds, in the Hobie 16, 29er and 420 before moving onto the 470 and now the 49er explains his 470 project with fellow University of Auckland student, Tarou Shiota..
 | North Sails facility in downtown Auckland - The 60 metre long loft floor close to the Viaduct harbour allows several J class sails to be worked on at one time by two shifts of sailmakers working 20 hours per day. - Richard Gladwell_© Click Here to view large photo |
 | Part of the Southern Spars impressive spar contruction factilty that has been used for the construction of America’s Cup wingsails, Super yacht masts extending the length of the factory, and multiple Volvo Ocean 65 rigs. The facility is within 10kms of downtown Auckland. - Southern Spars Click Here to view large photo |
by Sail-World
Click on the FB Like link to post this story to your FB wall
http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?nid=113743
4:05 PM Fri 30 Aug 2013GMT
Click here for printer friendly version
Click here to send us feedback or comments about this story.
Click for further information on
2013 America's Cup
Related News Stories:
MORE STORIES ...
|
|
Artemis Racing has announced that 2012 Olympic Gold medalists Nathan Outteridge and Iain 'Goobs' Jensen are continuing with the team, which is currently preparing its bid for the 35th America’s Cup. Nathan and Goobs will be once again joining forces with existing sailing team members triple Olympic medalist Iain Percy and legendary grinder Chris Brittle.
...
[more]
The Volvo Ocean Race picture desk has prepared a series of images to illustrate the construction timeline of the new boat to compete in the next two editions of the Race.
...
[more]
An America’s Cup on foiling catamarans, a one-design class for the Volvo Ocean Race and key elements of the traditionally liberal IMOCA Class standardised: those are only some of the radical changes sailing has gone through in 2013, and that have been debated with passion over the last two days by the delegates of the World Yacht Racing Forum in Gothenburg, Sweden.
...
[more]
In the Mini Transat, with the successive arrivals on the pontoons of Pointe-à-Pitre, one thing is clear. Although all competitors have crossed the same ocean, each of them has experienced a unique Mini Transat.
...
[more]
In only five years, the New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup has become the world’s premiere international Corinthian sailing competition. Competitors from around the globe were effusive and unanimous in their praise of the third running of this event, in Newport, R.I. last September.
...
[more]
A jury made up of specialists from the yacht racing and photographic industries chose Abner Kingman’s photograph taken during the 34th America’s Cup for the Mirabaud Yacht Racing Image award 2013. The delegates from the World Yacht Racing Forum chose Rick Tomlinson’s photograph for the «Public Award».
...
[more]
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2013-14 is on day 8 of Race 5. It’s set to be one of the closest finishes we’ve seen so far in the Race, with less than 200 miles left to Sydney, Australia the teams continue to battle it out for those coveted podium positions and those all important points.
...
[more]
Grant Dalton says Emirates Team New Zealand's future is looking positive and, importantly, he will be a part of it.
Dalton has been busy. He's just returned home from Europe where he met with sponsors and launched a recruitment drive.
...
[more]
The 2013 Audi Melges 20 World Championship, hosted by the Ocean Reef Club in full coordination with the International Audi Melges 20 Class Association, Coconut Grove Sailing Club and Melges USA is set and ready to welcome a record-breaking 52 teams to the starting line. Racing commences Wednesday, December 11 and concludes Saturday, December 14.
...
[more]
In the ISAF Match Race Rankings for Wednesday 11 December 2013 Taylor Canfield (ISV) holds top spot in the Open Rankings for the fourth consecutive release whilst Lucy Macgregor (GBR) holds World number one in the Women's Rankings.
...
[more]
The most outstanding sailing performances of the year are being celebrated by US Sailing with the announcement of its shortlist of nominees for the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year awards. The 2013 shortlist of nine men and six women, which includes 10 world champions, encompasses athletes racing cutting edge hydrofoils and kiteboards alongside stellar performers in one-design sailing.
...
[more]
Following a terrifyingly close race start to Race 5 in the Clipper 2013-14 Round the World Yacht Race, the fleet continues to put on one of the most competitive shows to date as each of the 12 teams battle to extend its lead in the overall race standings.
...
[more]
For the second consecutive year, a first since the creation of this title awarded by the French Sailing Federation for the past twelve years, Franck Cammas, the skipper of Groupama, has been voted Sailor of the Year.
...
[more]
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2013-14 is on day 7 of Race 5. It has been yet another eventful 24 hours for clipper race fleet with OneDLL momentarily reclaiming its crown. however, with just 10 miles separating the top four competitors the fight to win the coveted podium positions into Sydney continues, as the ocean sprint gets underway.
...
[more]
SOLAS Big Boat Challenge, hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia was held on Sydney Harbour. It has been a long time coming - but at last we have seen Bob Oatley’s six time Rolex Sydney Hobart line honours winner, Wild Oats XI, go head to head against Perpetual LOYAL, widely tipped as the boat most likely to rain on Bob Oatley’s parade in 2013.
...
[more]
SOLAS Big Boat Challenge images by Andrea Francollini. The CYCA's SOLAS Big Boat Challenge, one of Sydney's most spectacular sporting and harbour fixtures, has for 19 consecutive years marked the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart lead-up events
...
[more]
The ISAF World Sailing Rankings for 9 December 2013 have been released. Disappointment at the Laser World Championship turned into joy at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne for world number one Tom Burton (AUS) who won the second of five regattas of the 2013-14 series.
...
[more]
The next installment of The Transat, the original solo race across the North Atlantic that was born as the OSTAR, will start in its historical time slot in May 2016 from the UK to North America.
...
[more]
The outstanding programme of events for 2014 through to 2020 for Swan owners includes a number of high profile regattas and unique ClubSwan gatherings. In 2014, ClubSwan members once again have the opportunity to join fellow Swan owners in beautiful destinations around the world for a unique combination of racing, cruising and social events.
...
[more]
Sunday marked the commencement of activities at Ocean Reef Club in high anticipation of the very first ever Audi Melges 20 World Championship, fully supported by Melges USA and Coconut Grove Sailing Club. The day came to a perfect close with teams gathering at the home of George and Patty Lucas for an incredible, yet casual and easy kick-off dinner party.
...
[more]
In what may only be described as an electrifying, wild, and windy day, the sixth and final day of the PKRA Kitesurf World Cup Argentina was one for the record books. To the surprise of many, the light and variable winds that were forecast, gave way to up and down conditions ranging from 5-25 knots, lending to an amazing final day.
...
[more]
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2013-14 is on day 6 of Race 5. With just over 600 miles until Race 5 finish in Sydney, tactical decisions are starting to play out as the light winds at the front of the fleet threaten to jeopardise the leaders’ positions.
...
[more]
OK Dinghy World Ranking - Greg Wilcox (NZL) returns to the top of the final release for 2013 after another solid season. He climbs two places to retake the world number one position he last held in 2011. Nick Craig (GBR) remains in second while previous world No 1, Jørgen Svendsen (DEN), drops to third.
...
[more]
It seems a little hard to believe that it was three and half years ago that I first sailed the Weta, off Takapuna Beach on Auckland’s North Shore. An invitation to have another test sail soon got upped into a Media Race – competing against Boating New Zealand, and one of my sons.
...
[more]
Five Medal Races wrapped up the action at ISAF Sailing World Cup Melbourne with two nations dominating proceedings.
Australia dominated the multihull and skiff fleets whilst China locked out the opposition to take all six podium places in the RS:X.
...
[more]
Grey skies and a strong northerly wind greeted competitors on the final day of the ISAF World Sailing Cup Melbourne 2013. The winds initially gusting above 30kts, forced officials to hold crews ashore. But a weather window emerged with perfect timing and the winds dropped sufficiently to allow Medals racing to get underway in all five Olympic classes, almost on time at noon.
...
[more]
Clipper Round the World Yacht Race 2013-14 is on day 5 of Race 5. It’s been all change at the top of the leaderboard in the last 24 hours as OneDLL has relinquished its lead in race 5 to Sydney, leaving Derry~Londonderry~Doire to storm ahead of the fleet.
...
[more]
On day five of the PKRA Kitesurf World Cup Argentina, racers and freestylers returned to glassy conditions, similar to the day prior. While the forecast looked promising, anticipation was heightened, due to the fact that that only two days remained in the contest period.
...
[more]
In the Mini Transat, with each arrival brings the same deep happiness, the same relief to be able to say we went after our dream. They do not all express it in the same way, some are more exuberant than others. But everyone knows they battled their fears, sometimes against the hostile elements, at times with boredom. And they won the battle.
...
[more]
The 2013 Laser Masters World Championships in Oman produced a brand new set of champions today, closing the curtain on one of the most successful regattas in recent history.
...
[more]
|
|
Our Advertisers are committed to our sport, please support them!
This site and its contents are © Copyright TetraMedia Pty. Ltd and/or the original author, photographer etc. All Rights Reserved.
Photographs are copyright by law. If you wish to use or buy a photograph you must contact the photographer directly (there is a hyperlink in most cases to their website, or do a Google search.) with your request.
Please do not contact
Sail-World.com
as we cannot give permission for use of other photographer’s images.
Only if the photographer named on the image is Sail-world.com, Powerboat-world.com, Marinebusiness-world.com or NZBoating-World.com.
Contact us
.
Ph: +61 2 8006 1873
or complete our
feedback form
Contact us
.
View our Privacy Policy.
[ Go Home]
[ Banner Advertising Specification]
[Bot Archive ]
Customised news feeds -Marine Industry companies, Clubs and Associations have their own customised version of our news feed on their website.
Look_here_to_see_examples
|
| | |
.jpg)
