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By now, most sailors, especially those in the Northwest, know that one of the most technologically advanced sailboats on the planet was launched in Anacortes, Washington last month, in hopes of challenging for the America's Cup against Cup holder Alinghi. It's radically different from your usual AC monohull, but the conditions surrounding this challenge are radical in themselves. I am not going to dwell on the court case, in which BMW Oracle contends that the conditions under which Alinghi wants to run the next America's Cup are biased, and will not result in fair competition. In fact, I must admit to being one of those who, after enjoying one of the most competitive and compelling Cups in decades, was terribly disappointed when, once again, the whole America's Cup show was back in court. But there it is again, this time to provide a level playing field for future America's Cups. For more information on the legal matters, refer to the websites listed at the end of this article.
All that aside, any sailor's pulse will quicken when coming face to face with this space age creation by the BMW Oracle design team. Up until last December, the designers and builders were geared up to spring into action building a monohull. When it was decided to build a trimaran, it really became a challenge. For instance, ovens were the wrong shape and size. The main hull had to be built in four pieces, the amas (floats) in two. With the large sizes and many pieces, they needed laser tracking just to line everything up. As true credit to the designers and builders expertise, they delivered in just eight months. Normally it would take about a year and a half. With virtually everything custom built on the boat, of the highest quality, it's definitely an expensive proposition – $10 million is a fair guess. websites listed at the end of this article. At the dock, it's hard to perceive exactly what this boat is. To the unpracticed eye, it looks like a giant water spider. To the practiced eye, the very tall mast, virtually square footprint of the boat, combined with very little wetted surface and weight, cries out that this thing should be extremely fast. websites listed at the end of this article. Like many multihulls, there's netting between the main hull and the floats. Standing on the netting is like being in one of those inflatable bouncy castles for kids. Talking with helmsman James Spithill, (a familiar name from Seattle's OneWorld Challenge) on the netting was a pleasure and a balancing challenge. websites listed at the end of this article. “The size and speed of this boat is a new world for most of these sailors, but they're all world class and adapt quickly,” says Spithill. “We've got some French sailors here, who are used to racing the big, high-speed multihulls, who are helping us out. “Upon learning we were going to be sailing a multihull, myself and others on the team immediately began sailing as many different multis as we could. Many, including myself, got A-100's to practice on.” websites listed at the end of this article. With the new type of boat comes a whole new set of tactics and strategies for the skipper, tactician and helmsman. “It's a different type of sailing,” said Spithill. “For instance, we lose 90 to 150 meters per tack, coming off straight line speed. And, if they use the 20-mile courses that they're talking about, the navigation will be different. You won't be able to see the next mark.” websites listed at the end of this article. What about the traditional match racing “dial up” at the start? “That's really different because they're not as maneuverable as a monohull. We've had practices where both boats actually just come to a stop. Obviously you don't want that. You need speed. Even if you win the start, you still need to be 150 meters ahead before you can tack. websites listed at the end of this article. So, what does James think about returning to monohulls for future AC racing? “It'll be tough. These boats are so much fun.” The rest of the sailing crew showed up to the dock, looking sharp in their Slam gear, some wearing helmets. They looked more like they were going skydiving than going sailing. websites listed at the end of this article. With a stiff northerly blowing the boat onto the dock, it was quite an operation to get Oracle away safely. Four powerful inflatables maneuvered under the port trampoline (there's plenty of room) and, with the aid of two more boats with lines off Oracle's bow and stern, eased the boat away from the dock. She's like an albatross trying to take off on land until she gets some wind in her wings, then gracefully lifts into the air. websites listed at the end of this article. We adjourned to our chase boats and joined Oracle in Rosario Straits, where we watched her take flight in the light airs. Although they test everything everyday, today was to be mostly a load testing day. They had done a lot of static load testing at the dock but wanted to try a variety of sails and settings. The boat is riddled with fiber optics which provide instant readings for about anything you could ask for. As testament to just how astronomical the loads are and the danger of sailing this type of boat, the crew will wear helmets on “high speed” days, and there's a doctor and diver on hand at all times on a chase boat should they be needed in case of gear failure or capsize. Actually, the boat would probably not capsize as we think of it, but rather pitchpole. It would be “a disaster” as one crewman said. websites listed at the end of this article. The wind became a steady 7-8 knots and we chased the boat at 19-20 knots, on all points of sail. The size of the boat belies its speed. The only way to get a sense of how fast they were going was by the wakes and roostertails of the chase boats. The boat proved to be surprisingly maneuverable, tacking in less than 90° and accelerating up to speed in less than a minute. When she tacked she resembled an iceboat, carrying a lot of speed and rapidly heading off in a new direction. websites listed at the end of this article. To keep as much sail area working as possible when the boat “heels” over, or rather flying on one float, the mast can be canted to windward about eight degrees. This keeps as much sail area into the wind as possible, resulting in more speed. When tacking, the mast is canted to leeward so it's in prime position when the boat assumes the new tack. Awesome. websites listed at the end of this article. The crew works everything from a platform towards the rear of the main hull, using a row of grinders to handle the mammoth sails. The helmsman stands in an enclosed platform about halfway between the hull and float. In order to tack, an assistant helmsman takes the wheel until the main helmsman can make his way over to the new windward wheel, about 45 feet away. websites listed at the end of this article. When Oracle wanted to test another sail, they would basically stop the boat and drift while a new sail, on it's roller furler, was brought on deck and hoisted. This was quite a treat for those cruisers who just happened to be sailing by. It was like a craft from another world descending on them, stopping a few yards away, then once again speeding off into the distance. websites listed at the end of this article. The afternoon was spent testing a number of sails between Smith Island, Lopez and Fidalgo Head a few times. A distance most of us would be glad to cover in a long day. Oracle resembled an eagle being harassed by crows as she sailed, surrounded by official and unofficial observers on the water while small planes circled overhead. websites listed at the end of this article. The ride back to Anacortes left time to reflect on the rare experiences of the day. We don't see many big racing tris up in the Northwest, and here was the tri sailing in Rosario Strait for all to see. In fact, compared to past America's Cup campaigns, access to the boat has been quite open. Anyone could walk down the dock and take pictures. Journalists flown in from Germany and myself got to tour the shop and talk with Michael Drummond, Design Coordinator, about the challenges of putting the boat together. Then Thomas Hahn, Structural Design, who also is involved in BMW's car industry, answered some design questions on the boat. Questions were answered up to a point, then a smile and a nod let you know it was time to move on to another question. Then, to actually go onboard and inspect the boat – quite a change from previous challenges. As you read this, the boat will be on a barge heading for San Diego for winter training. Whether or not this boat will actually race for the America's Cup is still uncertain, but I would certainly love to see this boat fly, sailing to it's ultimate at close to 50 knots. The size, the speed – no doubt it would be a truly exciting and memorable event. websites are listed at the end of this article. ...back to 48° North title page.
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