Please select your home edition
Edition
Allen Brothers

Completely Polarised

by John Curnow, Sail-World.com AUS Editor 20 Oct 22:00 BST
Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Race 7 - October 18, 2024 © David Maynard / www.alleycatphotographer.com

In the weird and wonderful spaces of my mind I came to sunglasses. With a wry smile, too... For they are kind of dichotomous to the AC75. Don't get me wrong, I love my polarised sunnies from Barz Optics. Might not get as much of an outing these days as times of yore, but they're definitely in the go-to kit bag for when I get to go for a yacht or undertake a boat review, I can tell you!

Evidently, so too does our Managing Editor, Mark Jardine. So, before we weave a mat as complex and layered as an interchange on a busy US Freeway, let's get down to tin tacks.

The boat

Now the original premise for this here ditty was the AC75 as a vessel. People call me and go, 'they're just plain weird', or 'they don't look anything like the ones we see on the TV on Boxing Day', to say nothing of 'they're not yachts, and it is not sailing'.

Fair's fair, and going airborne in SFO in 2013 kind of 'elevated' the naysayers. (Boom. Boom. Basil Brush...) And yes, us nerds got into it earlier with the spy shots from the Hauraki Gulf, but the general public got its first taste for AC34. So then, when the cyclors appeared on the AC50 in 2017 for AC35, with posteriors in the air, well, 'normal' had very much left the building by then.

These futuristic, current versions of the AC75 with everyone just about hidden, and 'twin' crews so no one crosses over for tacks and gybes, which by the way would mean you would probably have to roll under the foot of the decksweeper main if it was indeed possible, certainly make viewing interesting. Trying to comment on and explain it all during radio interviews over the last little while is possibly akin to the required SEAL training that would be required to execute said manoeuvre under sail in a timely, safe, and precise manner. Enough said...

During my conversation with Andy Claughton that yielded, Look familiar?, I commented on how to me these yachts simply reminded me of slot cars. Claughton laughed, as he appreciated the point. They go around virtually flat until it all goes very wrong (which happens in a real hurry), and you need speed in the straights, thence both diligence and shall we say, fortitude in the corners, where you are a hero until you are a complete zero.

Yes, being the Flight Controller on board the AC75 is not easy, very stressful, and no doubt complex with closure rates, shifts, and lay lines all to consider in quadruple time. Marvellous stuff. Then you have G-forces to handle. You'll probably find the picture of one of the Flight Controllers in the Dictionary under GABO (Got A Bot On).

One thing that is clear, is the technological advancement on display. It is as incredible as it is mesmerising. Yes, they have a very defined window of operation, but so too has every America's Cup class that have preceded them. For sure, you won't see one of these tackling the Fastnet, or lobbing in for the Thursday Twilight at your local club, although the latter would be way cool, and certainly give the Handicapper one hell of a dilemma, and I am not sure where you could obtain an IRC certificate from to compete in the former, either.

So, what's the point? You won't see much of this in 'normal' yachting, they say. We have said it before and will reiterate now, the same could be said for F1 and WRC, but a lot of the wizardry developed in the upper echelons is now often not even seen, but busy beavering away, across the entire model spectrum, right down to your Korean shopping trolley. Quod erat demonstrandum... i.e. Flappy paddle me that Batman!

Now you have to go quite lateral, but the Hydrogen chase boats offer just one glimpse of where it all can go, both from a transportation and private boating scenario, with the T-Foil being the star. The next generation of foiling powercats will no doubt deploy retractable T-Foils rather than the current fixed ones that transverse the tunnel. Lower drag and being partially or completely retractable will mean less fuel to operate at either displacement or planning speed. This is just one way the effects will be felt.

Still not convinced? Boil the kettle, as it were. Foil development time. Ponder the next AC75s going through to 60, or even 75 knots off 13-21 knots TWS. Yes. I'd like to see that.

The event

I had remembered how some well-credentialled observer had said you need a decade to jag the win, and INEOS have been at it since 2012, so their window was now. Mark Jardine elucidated the country's thoughts in Should the British start dreaming?

As far as this piece here goes, the contrast was as marked as it was vitriolic. Some wanted a whitewash by the Kiwis, others wanted it down to the wire. 4:nil spoke volumes; 4:2 had loads of memories like dare to dream, as some tweaks and mods bore fruit for the Brits; and then 6:2 could have been just one more, or claw back time, and like we have not seen one of those before...

Ultimately, just the one more outing was required, and a 37-second margin was described as 'textbook', and 'clinical', but really the whole ETNZ campaign could have that moniker applied to it. Not all that surprising when you look through the roster, either. 'Pace' would be another one...

However, the overarching aspect from here is simply, way cool. A three-peat ends up being the exclamation point attached to it all.

Both had said they would be the other's Challenger of Record no mattered what happened, so expect the Brits to sign up once more. It is not back 'home', yet, and it has been a long while since that side of the pond had their mitts on the Auld Mug. They made a strong challenge for AC37 and will have a lot to go on moving forward.

Kudos

I am pretty sure it was KZ7 that took out the trimmers pits and placed everyone around the coaming (might possibly have been KZ5), and then of course by the time we got to the AC class, everyone was crouched down underneath it. Innovation has clearly been a big part of the Kiwi deal, ever since they came to play at Fremantle.

Well done ETNZ. From hosting rights to tv coverage, to inclusion of the other events into the fray, and bringing along other countries and teams by creating a way for them to be part of it all by using the AC40s that would have just sat around, going to waste otherwise. Here. Here.

OK. There it is. There is so much more on the group's websites for you. Simply use the search field, or 'edition' pull-down menu up the top on the right of the masthead to find it all. Please enjoy your yachting, stay safe, and thanks for tuning into Sail-World.com

John Curnow
Sail-World.com AUS Editor

Related Articles

Trust your instincts - Trust in Maverick
An amazing looking craft, full of interesting tech, and a brilliant project title How could you not get into this? An amazing looking craft, full of interesting tech, a brilliant project title, and the pedigree of two of the greatest names going around. Yes. I'm going to get my teeth into that, all right! Posted on 8 Nov
Kojiro Shiraishi - the IMOCA fleet's Obi-Wan!
The Japanese sailor is set to start his third Vendée Globe on Sunday Kojiro Shiraishi is the skipper of the IMOCA DMG MORI in the Vendée Globe. At the age of 26 he became the youngest sailor to complete a non-stop single-handed circumnavigation, twice finished 2nd in the solo BOC Challenge. Posted on 7 Nov
Conrad Colman: From the Rockies to the Vendée
Competing with a boat which is entirely fossil fuel free Conrad Colman grew up in New Zealand, went to High School and College in America, and then immediately went to Europe having fallen in love with the Vendée Globe. Posted on 6 Nov
Justine Mettraux: Vendée Globe debut
Ambre Hasson talks with the Swiss skipper of Teamwork-Team Snef This will be Justine Mettraux's first Vendée Globe, but she is no stranger to offshore racing, having competed in many singlehanded and crewed events, including the Figaro, three Ocean Races, the Mini Transat, Transat Jacques Vabre and the Route du Rhum. Posted on 6 Nov
Charlie Dalin - Vendée Globe favourite?
Ambre Hasson chats with the skipper of MACIF Santé Prévoyance With just days to go until the start of the Vendée Globe 2024, Ambre Hasson talked to Charlie Dalin, skipper of MACIF Santé Prévoyance, about his disrupted build to the race, designing his new IMOCA, and his hopes for the race itself. Posted on 5 Nov
When diminutive is massive
Let there be light. Indeed. Elizabeth Tucker has acquired Cole Brauer's Class 40, First Light Let there be light. Indeed. Elizabeth Tucker has acquired Cole Brauer's Class 40, First Light. Come November 23(ish), the pair will undertake a 12,000nm journey from Spain to Australia via two of the Capes, thence under Tasmania and into Sydney. Posted on 3 Nov
Oliver Heer interview ahead of the Vendée Globe
"The boat knows the way; I just have to make the right decisions." Ambre Hasson talked with Oliver Heer, the Swiss skipper of Tut gut, about his life before becoming a professional sailor, why he decided he needed to get out of the office, how he met Alex Thompson, which was his route into IMOCA sailing. Posted on 3 Nov
Preparing your boat for winter
It is important to ensure that your boat is protected from the elements and ready for the cold As we head towards winter, the likelihood of storms increases, so it is important to ensure that your boat is protected from the elements and ready for the cold. Posted on 30 Oct
Ambre Hasson's unconventional path into sailing
From 9-5 in New York to Classe Mini sailing in France! Ambre Hasson is a Classe Mini sailor who will be talking to sailors in the Vendée Globe race village ahead of the start on 10th November. Originally not into sailing, she was inspired by Pip Hare in the 2020/21 Vendée to get into the sport. Posted on 29 Oct
Savvy Navvy - making boating more accessible
I spoke to founder Jelte Liebrand about his background, philosophy, the app itself The rise of Savvy Navvy in the world of boating navigation has been spectacular, with over 2 million downloads of the app. Posted on 21 Oct