Please select your home edition
Edition
RS Sailing 2021 - LEADERBOARD

America's Cup - Land Rover BAR become first to launch AC50 in Bermuda

by Land Rover BAR and Sail-World on 6 Feb 2017
The LandRover BAR Race yacht "Rita" shown here being christened and launched at the teams base in Bermuda, February 6, 2017. Lloyd Images http://lloydimagesgallery.photoshelter.com/
The ambitions of Land Rover BAR to win the 35th America's Cup – and finally bring the trophy back home to Britain after 166 years – took solid form today, with the launch and christening of their America's Cup Class race boat in Bermuda.


The British boat is the first of the new AC50 boats to be launched, and is expected to be followed by Oracle Team USA on February 14, in Bermuda, and Emirates Team New Zealand, in Auckland.

The British, matt black boat represents the combined efforts across three years of the now 120-strong team and their partners. After the launch of four test boats, 85,000 hours of design and build, on the water testing and painstaking construction, the team has seen its efforts crystallised into the boat code-named R1.


Sir Ben Ainslie's wife Georgie and baby daughter Bellatrix appropriately smashed a bottle of English sparkling Nyetimber wine to christen Land Rover BAR's America's Cup Class race boat Rita – the name carried by all 19 of Ben's previous Olympic and world championship winning boats. With just 107 days to the start of racing, the team will continue with their intensive testing and development programme, which will now include 'in-house' racing against their test boat 'T3'.

In 2017 in Bermuda, the 21st British Challenger for the America's Cup will race on a tightly defined course of just a few miles at speeds that could reach 50kts.


Ben Ainslie; Land Rover BAR Team Principal and Skipper, four times Olympic gold medallist and America's Cup winner:

'It's a great moment to see our AC50 Race boat hit the water in Bermuda. The launch represents the sum of all the team's efforts to bring the America's Cup home, and we're delighted to get her in the water here in Bermuda. We're a start-up team, and we had to build not just the boat but the design and engineering team, the facilities and the processes to get to this point today. There are just a few short months before the racing starts at the end of May, and we will be working very hard now on the final development and testing of this boat to make sure we are ready for the racing.'


Richard Hopkirk; Land Rover BAR Engineering Manager:

'The design, engineering and build process for a boat of this complexity stretches back to the very earliest days of the campaign. Everyone in the team and all our partners have contributed to getting this boat ready here today, and we're all very proud of the achievement. The innovation, technology and attention to detail in the design and construction continue the America's Cup's traditions of the most advanced sailboats on the planet. We believe this is the most sophisticated and best prepared British challenger, with a total campaign design effort of 50,000 hours, and a construction effort of 35,000 hours for Rita.'

On the same day, 11th Hour Racing Co-Founder Wendy Schmidt opened the 11th Hour Racing Exploration Zone at the team's base in Bermuda. This dedicated educational space brings to life critical topics around ocean health, sustainability, innovation and technology, with a series of creative displays. The ocean is our playing field and we want to preserve it: supported by Land Rover BAR's Exclusive Sustainability Partner, 11th Hour Racing, the Exploration Zone will inspire audiences to make a tangible and positive impact by reducing ocean plastics, learning about the power of the sun as a source of renewable energy, and understanding the devastating effects of invasive species, particularly the lionfish that infests Bermudian waters. Other exhibits highlight the team's sporting and design challenge, and the technology and innovations that enable the latest generation of wing-sailed, hydrofoiling America's Cup multihulls that fly.


Land Rover BAR are bringing this unique, inspirational experience to Bermuda as part of their ambition to be the planet's most sustainable professional sports team and to engage with a number of different audiences: local residents, tourists, sailing enthusiasts, media, families and school groups are all expected to visit. The 11th Hour Racing Exploration Zone can also be used as a classroom space dedicated to delivering lessons resourcing the team's online digital education programme, BT STEM Crew. Children from six local middle schools attended the opening, and were treated to lessons on invasive species and mechanisms along with a tour of the exhibits.

Wendy Schmidt, Co-Founder of 11th Hour Racing commented:

'With the 11th Hour Racing Exploration Zone, we hope to create a legacy lasting well beyond the 35th America's Cup. Through interactive displays, we focus on some of the concerns that are top of mind for all of us: which invasive species is creating havoc in the Atlantic Ocean? How widespread is the problem of ocean plastic pollution? We also look at bigger issues, such as what it means to have a circular economy and how we can accelerate the transition to the use of more renewable energy. We are thrilled to share this story with Land Rover BAR's fans, sailing and sports enthusiasts, the public, and we hope to capture their imagination and spark creativity and interest in our oceans.'

Yesterday Land Rover BAR became the first America's Cup team to launch the America's Cup Class boat they will race in the 35th America's Cup this summer. It marks a huge milestone in the new team's campaign, and another step forward in their quest to #BringTheCupHome. Full story here: http://bit.ly/2kAfGKi

Posted by America's Cup on Tuesday, February 7, 2017










Facebook video of the christening of Land Rover BAR in Bermuda with Georgie Ainslie

Posted by Land Rover BAR on Monday, February 6, 2017
Hyde Sails 2024 - One DesignZhik 2024 DecemberSwitch One Design

Related Articles

Armstrong Foils Demo Days return for 2025
Test the latest gear, get expert advice, and ride with the pros. Armstrong Foils is proud to announce the return of Armstrong Demo Days for 2025. Test the latest gear, get expert advice, and ride with the pros.
Posted today at 5:41 am
International 5o5 Euro Cup Leg 2 at Lake Garda
Stunning scenery, fresh water and great Ora breezes Between May 29th and 31st, 41 505's from 10 countries arrived in the small town of Riva at the Northern end of Lake Garda in Italy for leg 2 of the 2025 505 Euro Cup series.
Posted today at 5:29 am
49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 Europeans Day 1
Austrians Prettner and Flachberger tip into early lead Keanu Prettner with Jakob Flachberger (AUT) were locked in a light air duel with defending European Champions Hernan Umpiere with Fernando Diz (URU). The two teams were tipped by their fellow competitors as the ones to watch in light winds and delivered.
Posted on 3 Jun
New Dynamic Range of T-Shirts and Shorts
Just the ticket at sea and on shore Packing for a weekend away on the water and having fun onshore has never been easier, thanks to the new range of Dynamic shorts and t-shirts from Henri-Lloyd.
Posted on 3 Jun
Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup Day 1
Top level consistency gives 2024 champions a strong start in Baiona The 2024 overall circuit champions, Doug DeVos' American Magic Quantum Racing, lead the GALICIA 52 SUPER SERIES ROYAL CUP after two good races on the beautiful but challenging race area off Baiona on the NW corner.
Posted on 3 Jun
Getting excited for the Van Isle 360
Quoting a famous line from Pink Floyd's "Time" As I pack for the first half of the 2025 Van Isle 360 International Yacht Race, I find myself thinking about the last time I did this race, a certain Pink Floyd song, and the great adventuring, sailing and time with friends that awaits.
Posted on 3 Jun
5.5 Metre titles head to Poland for the first time
Scandinavian Gold Cup and World Championship to be held back to back Over the next 12 days the International 5.5 Metre Class heads to Sopot in Poland for the Scandinavian Gold Cup and World Championship. It is the first time the class has held any of its major events in Poland.
Posted on 3 Jun
Robert Burke on HRCS's Dyckman Marina facility
Robert Burke discusses the upcoming closure of HRCS's Dyckman Marina facility Community sailing organizations are a fantastic and affordable way of drawing new sailors into the sport. Unfortunately, the Hudson River Community Sailing is being forced to close one of its two locations in January.
Posted on 3 Jun
Mirror dinghy Tuning Guide with Ben McGrane
A detailed guide to maximising speed with Hyde Mirror Sails Continuing the new series of tuning videos from Hyde Sails, One Design Sales Manager Ben McGrane gives a detailed guide to maximising speed with Hyde Mirror Sails.
Posted on 3 Jun
Rodkicker 50 - manual rigid vang for larger yachts
Specifically sized for yachts measuring between 50 and 55 feet A rigid vang is designed to enhance sail handling during reefing, preventing the boom from falling into the cockpit or onto the coach roof. Equipped with gas springs, it automatically elevates the boom upon release of the kicking strap.
Posted on 3 Jun