Please select your home edition
Edition
Zhik 2024 December

Gladwell's Line: AC40 has impressive first day's sailing on Course E

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 21 Sep 2022 06:54 PDT
Emirates Team NZ's AC40 - passes the 150yr old Bean Rock lighthouse at the entrance to the Waitemata Harbour - September 21, 2022 © Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com / nz

Emirates Team New Zealand had an impressive day sailing their new AC40 for the first time. Indeed it was the first sailing for the America's Cup champions, for 18 months. The SailGP squad were away getting ready for this weekend's SailGP regatta in Cadiz.

Today's crew comprised Nathan Outteridge, Nick Burridge, Ray Davies and Sam Meech - Bronze medalist at Rio 2016 in the Men's Laser . All were having their first sail in a foiling monohull. So that considered, it was a good effort.

After yesterday's murk, the morning was bright but with light winds.

The Kiwis may have been out of it for 18 months, but were quickly back to running their predictable, military-like sailing schedule:

  • 10.00hrs Boat to crane
  • 10.30hrs Boat into water
  • 11.30hrs Dockout

The mini-armada consisting of a regulation America's Cup Chase boat, and a 2021 America's Cup umpire boat now re-purposed as a Recon boat, pursued the AC40 towed once again by the bug-like, hydrogen-powered foiling Chase Boat Zero down a barely rippling Waitemata harbour. They hooked up with a second big chase boat in the Channel, which presumably had been sent ahead to check the conditions - with a modest northerly forecast.

The fleet headed off to Motuihe Island, a former prisoner of war camp and quarantine about 5nm distant, before heading down the Channel to the Course E, of the 2021 America's Cup, and set up off Beachlands and the Pine Harbour marina.

There they were getting beyond binocular range - even for a pair of 14x stabilised Fujinons - however, the AC40 seemed to be sailing well enough in what would have been flat water, but with a likely patchy breeze - upset by the surrounding islands. The area is near completely landlocked - and quite a different proposition from the long lolloping cross-swell of Barcelona.

A few hours later, the fleet appeared from whence there had disappeared, and near-straight lined back to North Head, sailing in a light-moderate northerly. At North Head, there was a conflab with the chase boats, before they sailed a couple of short laps up and down the channel before turning right and foiling up the harbour in time to catch the early rush hour.

The AC40 sailing we saw was impressive for a first day in light winds of 10-12kts off North Head, blowing from the North and straight down the Rangitoto Channel. Off Course E it appeared to be lighter based on the Predictwind now-casting read-outs.

Because the AC40 sails so close to the water surface, it is often hard to detect if it is fully airborne or not. The white hull melds perfectly with the giveaway white spray of an underbody touchdown. The effect is somewhat disconcerting - with plenty of double-takes. But even if it was not always clear of the water - it was so close as to be insignificant. It certainly turned on a dime, and its manoeuvrability was impressive - with none of the obvious crashing off the foils during a tack.

Foiling gybes were de rigueur, and foiling tacks almost the same.

The only issues were the raising and lowering the foil arms in tacks and gybes. In the conditions, there was a significant gain to be able to turn a corner and get the old wing quickly clear of the water - and it wasn't as slick as we are used to seeing on an AC75.

There was the occasional roll to windward, as the pressure comes off the rig unexpectedly, and the leeward foil generates excessive lift.

The demeanour of the AC40 is such that it always appears to be sailing bow down - but then again Te Rehutai - the current America's Cup champion from the same design team - has the same sailing attitude.

Undoubtedly, the AC40 will be a challenging boat to sail.

It will be interesting to see how the Youth and Womens crews can throw the boat around in both Match and Fleet racing once their confidence is up, come the America's Cup regattas in Barcelona 2024. One suspects that we may see some completely different racing from that of the AC75's in the last Cup.

Related Articles

America's Cup: Luna Rossa's Challenge accepted
According to local media the Italian team, Luna Rossa has had its Challenge accepted by the Kiwis. Leading America's Cup journalist, Fabio Pozzo, reports that the Italian team, Luna Rossa has had its Challenge accepted for the 2027 Cup in Naples. Posted on 12 Sep
America's Cup: ETNZ's design boss on new AC75 Rule
Kiwi design chief, Dan Bernasconi on recycled AC75 hulls, electric power and other rule changes. Kiwi design chief, Dan Bernasconi on the use of recycled AC75 hulls, the switch to full electric power, and other changes. He claims there is plenty of performance gain left in the AC75 for the designer teams. Posted on 12 Sep
America's Cup: Class Rule and Tech Regs out
The America's Cup Class Rule and Technical Regulations for the Naples Match have been published With the clock ticking down to the start of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples in 2027, the AC75 Class Rules and Technical Regulations have been issued to all teams and published with a focus on cost containment. Posted on 11 Sep
America's Cup: Running silent and deep, again.
A look at the flotsam that has surfaced as the Cup teams again go into deep and silent negotiation. A look at the state of the Cup - given the three weeks of silence since the hasty final Protocol signing. Previously a long deep dive by the teams has indicated that a lot of negotiation is underway. Here's what we've seen floating on the surface. Posted on 10 Sep
From The Other Side - The State of the Sport
The editors of Sail-World New Zealand and Inside Great Lakes Sailing discuss the state of sailing. The Editors of Inside Great Lakes Sailing and Sail-World New Zealand got together last week to shoot the breeze in an unscripted video discussion, without any pre-arranged "talking points" about various aspects of the sport. Posted on 5 Sep
Youth America's Cup set to continue in Naples
The Youth America's Cup is a sign-post to the future direction of the America's Cup itself. Since its inaugural event in 2013, the Youth America's Cup, designed as a competition for sailors under the age of 25, has always been the most remarkable sign-post to the future direction of the America's Cup itself. Posted on 4 Sep
America's Cup: Carlo's insights 1983-2024
Leading Italian lensman Carlo Borlenghi has been shooting the America's Cups for 41 years Carlo Borlenghi is the go-to photographer for many of the world's top sailing events and has covered every America's Cup since 1983 when he was assigned to the Azzurra team for Italy's first challenge. Posted on 30 Aug
America's Cup: A seismic shift for sailing
For the first time in its 174-year history, female sailors will be mandated onboard AC75s This week's announcement from the America's Cup felt momentous. For the first time in its 174-year history, female sailors will be mandated onboard AC75s at the pinnacle of our sport. Posted on 15 Aug
America's Cup: The Brave, New Protocol
The just announced Protocol for the America's Cup has many innovations and a few fish hooks The just announced Protocol for the America's Cup has many innovations, and maybe a few unintended consequences around the mandatory re-use of 2024 vintage AC75 hulls. Updated with a look at how the new Cup structure could work. Posted on 12 Aug
America's Cup: A "ground breaking" partnership
An innovative Protocol for the 2027 America's Cup has been agreed between RNZYS and RYS An innovative 11th hour Protocol for the 2027 America's Cup has been agreed between the Challenger of Record and the Defender. It creates a commercial framework for the current and future Cups, eases nationality rules, and has a quota for female sailors. Posted on 12 Aug
Zhik 2024 DecemberBarton Marine Pipe GlandsMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOM