AC Yacht Anchors new exhibition at the Mariners’ Museum and Park

by Jenna Dill on 14 May 2017 The Mariners’ Museum and Park’s newest exhibition, Speed and Innovation in the America’s Cup, will open Saturday, May 27 with an incredible sight for visitors to see: Oracle Team USA’s AC72 catamaran USA 17 suspended in the air.

Sailors have been racing to win the America’s Cup since 1851. They are chasing the history and fame that comes with winning the Cup. Powered only by wind and human strength, America’s Cup yachts have always been on the leading edge of technology. Teams will do whatever it takes to win the Cup — no matter the cost. Speed and Innovation in the America’s Cup will bring the excitement of this international competition to Hampton Roads. Visitors will enjoy an engaging and immersive experience as they explore the science and technology behind the fight to win this prestigious trophy.

As the centerpiece of the exhibition, USA 17 will help visitors relive the amazing comeback in the 34th America’s Cup and what it took to develop, design, build, and race the AC72 catamaran.

“Oracle Team USA has given our Museum the opportunity to provide the hundreds of thousands of people that will visit this exhibit over time an experience that they can get nowhere else: standing underneath the actual AC72 platform that won the 2013 America’s Cup. I cannot wait to see our visitor’s imagination take flight as they come into contact with the sleek, elegant – and MASSIVE – USA 17,” said Howard Hoege, President and CEO of The Mariners’ Museum and Park.

The catamaran is not only the largest boat in the Museum’s collection, at 72 feet long and 46 feet wide, but it is also the most technologically advanced.

“We’re thrilled to be able to contribute to The Mariners’ Museum by donating USA 17 for this exhibition,” said Grant Simmer, the General Manager and Chief Operating Operator of Oracle Team USA. “The story behind this boat and the comeback in 2013 is one that deserves to be shared widely, and we’re happy to be in partnership with The Mariners’ Museum to help educate people about the America’s Cup and the technology and human achievement that is the cornerstone of the event.”

Speed and Innovation in the America’s Cup will bring the excitement of the America’s Cup to visitors from across the nation and the globe. Visitors will enjoy an engaging and immersive experience as they explore the science and technology behind the fight to win the oldest trophy in international sport.

On Thursday, May 4, the Museum will welcome Jack Griffin, guest curator for the new exhibition, for a thrilling lecture about the America’s Cup. Griffin is the Editor of Cup Experience, a unique newsletter and website dedicated to audience engagement for the America’s Cup. His book, Turning the Tide, provides the definitive account of Oracle Team USA’s dramatic comeback in San Francisco in 2013.

With the help of multiple partners, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and The Vacation Channel, the Museum produced a three-minute film showcasing USA 17 arriving at the Museum.



The Mariners' Museum and Park connects people to the world's waters because through the water – through our shared maritime heritage - we are connected to one another. The organization is an educational, non-profit institution accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and preserves and interprets maritime history through an international collection of ship models, figureheads, paintings, and other maritime artifacts. The Mariners’ Museum is home to the USS Monitor Center, and is surrounded by the 550-acre Mariners’ Museum Park, the largest privately maintained park open to the public in North America. The Mariners’ Museum Library is the largest maritime library in the Western hemisphere. The Mariners’ Museum has been designated by Congress as “America’s National Maritime Museum.”

For hours and information, visit MarinersMuseum.org, call (757) 596-2222.