America's Cup: NYYC American Magic moves to Newport for launch

American Magic's AM38 gets tied up to the docks at New York Yacht Club's Harbour Court for the 175th Annual Regatta BBQ © Amory Ross

New York Yacht Club American Magic's first AC75 has moved from the team's build facility in Bristol, Rhode Island, to their sailing base of operations near Newport.

She is the third AC75 to have been moved to their final fit-out and launch facility in the past fortnight.

It was announced last week that the carbon foiling arms had been delivered to the teams - that should have been the last bottleneck in a process which has delayed the AC75 build programs for six months. Of course the teams will have used the time to further refine the development of their design, and incorporate those features in their first launched AC75.

The New York Yacht Club backed team has been using a development platform that is a half-scale AC75, and is the only team to have used one of this size, the maximum permitted under the Protocol which governs the 36th America's Cup.

In contrast to the previous America's Cup, there are few one-design parts involved - just the foil arms and electro-mechanical foil raising mechanism and the rest of the design is free within the dimensions imposed by the restricted Class Rule.

It is expected, as with any first generation of a new America's Cup class that there will be a wide disparity between the design options chosen by the teams. In subsequent design generations the boats tend to settle in the same corner of a Class rule.

Four teams will be building two boats, while fifth, Stars and Stripes Team USA is building a single AC75.

The first team to launch is expected to be the Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli from the team's base in Cagliarli, Sardinia on September 9, 2019.

Formed in October 2017 by Bella Mente Racing, Quantum Racing and the New York Yacht Club, American Magic brings together two highly successful racing programs with one of the foremost yacht clubs in the world. The team represents a shared vision of launching a campaign for the 36th America's Cup competition, reconnecting the American sailing base with sailing's premier event and elevating the quality of competitive sailing in the United States.

The New York Yacht Club was founded in 1844 when nine New York yachtsmen met aboard John Cox Stevens' yacht and a year later its original clubhouse was built in Hoboken, N.J. The Club's Annual Regatta was first run in 1845. The Club was the keeper of the America's Cup from 1851 to 1983, and it organized the first transatlantic race in 1866. The Club maintains two exquisite clubhouses, on 44th Street in the heart of New York City, known for its Model Room and extensive nautical library, and Harbour Court in Newport, R.I., which annually hosts some of North America's most prestigious sailing events, including the Annual Regatta, Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex, the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup and the Queen's Cup. See nyyc.org