Team New Zealand reveals total commitment to the Hula

by Ivor Wilkins on 8 Jan 2003 At an upbeat unveiling ceremony today, Team New Zealand demonstrated total commitment to its controversial hull appendage programme by revealing that both yachts have the attachments fitted.

Ever since news broke that Team New Zealand had come up with an innovative method of overcoming the rule against hollows in the hull by attaching a bustle under the stern, the unveiling ceremony has been awaited with keen anticipation.

Many observers believed the Defender would hedge its bets by having one yacht built on conventional lines and one with the appendage. But, as the two black yachts were lifted out of the water in front of a large crowd of media and spectators, both were sporting the appendages.

Dubbed the “Hula” – short for hull appendage – the attachment docks neatly under the stern, adding volume and hence sailing waterline length to the hull. Playing on the name, the Defender’s unveiling ceremony took on a Hawaiian theme with members of the design team wearing flowered shirts.

The light-hearted atmosphere of the unveiling underscored the team’s total confidence in the concept – despite rumblings along Syndicate Row that Alinghi or Oracle BMW Racing might challenge the appendage.

Spokesmen for both challenging teams questioned the legality of the Hula during their unveilings today and an unnamed syndicate has already lodged a number of questions about it with the International Jury.

But, Tom Schnackenberg, Team New Zealand syndicate head and co-ordinator of the design team, said the team had satisfied all the requirements of the Measurement Committee and both yachts had been issued with Measurement Certificates.

A Measurement Certificate denotes that the yacht complies in every respect with the rules of the regatta and is fit to race. All the appendages on the two Team New Zealand yachts carried the signature of the Measurer.

“We had to undergo a very rigorous process with the Measurers,” said Schnackenberg. “They laid down stipulations that (outside the permitted attachment zone) the appendage may not touch the hull during racing. Their demands were quite stringent. We have made sure the Hula does not touch the hull at any time. They would not have given us a certificate unless we could prove that.”

The unveiling also revealed that the Hula is not simply an add-on to a conventional hull. The design and construction of the yacht has clearly been planned from the outset to accommodate the bustle.

Clay Oliver, who shared Chief Design duties with Mike Drummond, said: “It is not simply a matter of adding something. It is a matter of imagining the shape you want and then coming up with a solution to achieve it. It is not a clip-on.”

Oliver said resolving all the issues surrounding the Hula had taken a long process involving computer analysis, tank testing and full scale testing. In search of a low transom and a long, elegant shape, Oliver said the design team had been striving for yachts that were beautiful and fast.

Drummond noted that the Hula did not come without costs. The necessary gap between the appendage and the hull created friction drag and the requirement for a very rigid structure added weight, both of which would be penalties in light air conditions.

Also, the additional weight of the Hula represented weight lost from the bulb, which would reduce stability in heavy conditions. Nevertheless, the team clearly believes the advantages outweigh the disadvantages and took great lengths to keep the appendage secret for as long as possible.

Even though Schnackenberg said he believed Team New Zealand was much further down the track with the appendage concept than the Challengers, he was greatly impressed by the sophistication of the challenger boats. Oliver said there was still a possibility that the Challenger could replicate the idea.

“The Challenger teams have tremendous resources and are very talented. If there is a will to do it, they can do just about anything.”

As to the future, Schnackenberg mooted the possibility of eliminating the rule against hollows. “Each time a new design idea comes out, it tends to open up the design space,” he said. “We like to think this will open it up for the America’s Cup Class.

“In a future America’s Cup, if we were in a position to do so, we might work with the other design teams to remove the no-hollows rule. Then we could do nicely shaped boats without the appendages. If that happens, these boats will be seen as a small milestone.”

While the Hula stole the show, the unveiling also revealed that Team New Zealand is investigating a different path with its keel programme. NZL-81 had a moderate bulb, but NZL-82 was sporting a very long, flat-bottomed bulb, about 7m. The winglets extend virtually to the full width of the hull and attach at the bottom of the bulb in line with the tapered fin.

The unveiling day is traditionally a celebration of the design team efforts. But what of the men who will sail the boats? Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker said the appeal of the Hula concept had been obvious from day one. But, coming to the decision to go ahead had involved long discussions. “Inevitably, when you come up with a new concept, you end up going through it over and over again, working out the upsides and the downsides.

“As a team, we decided it was worth it. We think our boats are good. Only time will tell whether they are fast enough to beat the best of the challengers. It is hard to say with any confidence. There is a very small difference between winning and losing. We have to hope we are good enough to win.”