Cup Spy: AC40 capsizes, recovers and hits 40kts - Day 2
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 22 Sep 2022 21:24 AEST
22 September 2022
AC37 Joint Recon Program - America's Cup Recon - Emirates Team New Zealand - AC40 Day 3, September 22, 2022 © Adam Mustill / America's Cup
Emirates Team NZ's new AC40 got a few monkeys off its back on just the second day of sailing - managing to crack the 40kts barrier, do a full nosedive, a capsize and a full sail away recovery.
On a not particularly pleasant early Spring Day, in Auckland, it rained, drizzled, had no wind and then plenty - everything but sunshine. Conditions were reported as 6-13kts from the SE, with flat water. Dockout was 1135hrs and return at 1710hrs. J1, J2, J3 jibs were used.
The AC40 test boat - which will also be used in America's Cup 2024 regattas for the Youth and Womens America's Cup - gave the four crew - a solid workout on just the second day of sailing, doing 40 knots of boat speed in under 15 knots TWS (True Wind Speed) - sailing at more than 3x windspeed.
The biggest takeaway is that the AC40 is quite tender (or tippy) can capsize at slow speed or stopped, but is quite easily righted - gets rid of any water that comes into the cockpit and keeps sailing. Emirates Team NZ Coach, Ray Davies who is one of the four man crew explains the eventful day to the AC37 Joint Recon program:
The AC37 Joint Recon team reported : "The capsize happened at slow speed after leaving team chase boat. Not enough forward movement was put onto the AC 40 before it was let go from of the chase boat. The AC 40 got caught "in Irons" (head to wind). It started drifting backwards, the head blew off and the boat gently lay on her side.
"Crew member Nathan Outteridge, who was to leeward, scampered out of his cockpit and went to the bow along the foot of the jib. He attached a line from the chase boat and with a gentle tug on her bow, pulling to windward, she righted easily."
In his interview, Ray Davies explains that the crew checked below decks, and a bucket was passed down, but came back up empty.
Crewing today were Nathan Outteridge and Sam Meech (helms), Ray Davies trimming and Nick Burridge on semi-automated flight control, it was the second day of sailing for the 'rookie' crew, all of whom had their first experience of foiling monohull sailing, the day before.
The recon team reported that the AC40 "Seems to start to lift at just over 10 knots boat speed, Estimated TWA 70 degrees Estimated speed to be fully foiling 13.5 knots boat speed". The AC37 did 14 tacks and 16 gybes in the 5.5hrs session.
There was "still some porpoising but less than yesterday. The AC37 was very fast, over 33 knots in less than 14 knots TWS". Downwind ride height was reported as "very fast but still big changes in ride height. Doing over 40 knots boat speed in under 15 knots TWS"