Bluegame passes the baton: American Magic receives first unit of BGH
by Bluegame 7 Aug 2024 17:39 UTC
American Magic receives the first unit of BGH © Bluegame
In the 37th edition of the America's Cup, the prestigious American challenger team wanted to have Bluegame's chase boat by their side. This marks a new, historic milestone in the application of cutting-edge technologies for more sustainable boating.
La Spezia, 7 August 2024 - Bluegame, Italian excellence in shipbuilding part of the Sanlorenzo Group, officially delivered the BGH-HSV (Hydrogen Support Vessel) to American Magic, the challenger team in the 37th edition of the America's Cup, today.
At the ceremony, held at the Sanlorenzo headquarters in La Spezia, Bluegame was represented by CEO Carla Demaria and Luca Santella, Head of Product Strategy and leader of the BGH project. Representing the American team was their president and skipper, Terry Hutchinson, a legend in the history of the America's Cup.
The handover was symbolized by the presentation of the cork from the bottle used for the technical launch of the boat, which took place in complete confidentiality on March 18th. The cork was contained in an elegant package.
The chase boat was designed following the strict requirements of the America's Cup Protocol and will literally fly on foils at 50 knots alongside American Magic's AC75 on the racecourse. It is powered exclusively by hydrogen, making it zero-emission, with a range of 180 miles.
The use of hydrogen as the sole propulsion system marks an important milestone in sustainable technology, not only for Bluegame and the Sanlorenzo Group, pioneers in the journey towards carbon neutrality, but for the entire recreational boating industry.
"From its origins, the history of Bluegame has been one of innovation and courage," stated Carla Demaria. "The courage to push boundaries, to go beyond the conventional, and to challenge the impossible, as we did with the BGH. We are proud to participate in the America's Cup alongside the prestigious American Magic team, which has made history as the world's oldest active international sporting competition. We share their pioneering and competitive spirit, and we have created the BGH for them, representing an important step toward the green transition in the yachting industry. For Bluegame, this is not a point of arrival but a starting point for new challenges and opportunities. A special thanks to our partners who stood by us and supported us in this project: Sangiorgio Marine, EODev, Natpower H and Smart Gyro".
"Choosing Bluegame (Sanlorenzo) for our hydrogen support boat was an easy decision for American Magic", declared Terry Hutchinson. "Bluegame's cutting-edge marine technology and unwavering commitment to sustainability align perfectly with our values. Their passion for green innovation makes them an ideal partner for this groundbreaking initiative".
"The creation of the BGH involved a series of extremely complex challenges in terms of design, engineering, and materials research" explained Luca Santella. "For this reason, Bluegame assembled a team of exceptional competence, consisting of professionals with extensive experience in the world of the America's Cup. The efforts and significant investments in research and development to achieve the performance, speed, maneuverability, and reliability necessary to successfully support the American Magic team have been rewarded. The result is a vessel that marks a new, historic milestone in the application of cutting-edge technologies for more sustainable boating".
In the coming weeks, Bluegame will deliver a second unit of the BGH, this time to the prestigious Orient Express Racing Team, also a challenger in this edition of the America's Cup. This additional recognition underscores Bluegame's design capabilities in high technology and sustainability and is particularly gratifying given France's historic tradition in top-level sailing competitions.
The experience gained and the extensive know-how acquired with the BGH will serve as a springboard for the future BGF line, with the first model expected in 2025.