America's Cup - Oracle Team USA launches third AC45S in Bermuda

by Sail-World.com NZL on 16 Feb 2016 Oracle Team USA hit another campaign milestone on Monday when the team's third test AC45S test platform was rolled out of the boat shed, christened “Oracle 17”, and lifted into the water for the first time.

The boat had a new wing stepped on the platform and underwent a series of system checks dockside at the team base in Bermuda.

Boat 3 is expected to sail for the first time in the next suitable weather window.

“There is a big step up with this boat in terms of the systems we are developing and now testing in real world use,” says design coordinator Scott Ferguson.

The new America’s Cup Class boats the teams must design, build and race for 2017 need to be entirely manually powered.

The first two AC45S boats that Oracle Team USA used had partially powered systems to test various components.

However since returning from the Christmas break the crew has been sailing boat two in manual mode.

The systems on board Boat 3 represent another step up in efficiency and effectiveness.

“We think we will see a significant jump in performance with this boat,” said general manager Grant Simmer. “The systems we are testing now will translate directly into the design of the America’s Cup boat we race in 2017.”

Oracle Team USA designers are keeping an eye on the calendar with design deadlines for various components fast approaching.

“The design lock-in dates for the first America’s Cup Class boat are staggered to a certain extent,” Simmer said. “But we are coming up to the time when we need to make some hard decisions.”

Under the Protocol governing the 35th America's Cup the Challengers are restricted to launching one AC50 (the size of catamaran to be used in the 2017 America's Cup), which can be launched no earlier than January 1, 2017 - being 150 days before the start of the Qualifiers in Bermuda. The Defender is allowed to launch two AC50s, but must sail the first one launched in the Match. The second AC50 can only be launched one month before the start of the Qualifiers. The teams are allowed to build an unlimited number of surrogate boats, provided thaey use the underwater hull shape of the one design AC45.

Land Rover BAR (GBR) has two AC45S catamarans launched (one under repair), Artemis Racing has two AC45S catamarans, Emirates Team NZ has one AC45S on loan from the departed Luna Rossa (ITA), Groupama Team France has one AC45S. SoftBank Team Japan has one AC45S (also under repair) which was Oracle Team USA's first AC45S.