PI 36

Earlier this week the Measurement Committee issued Public Interpretation No. 36 in response to a question about adjusting the forestay while racing. The text of the ruling:

Yes, it is permissible to change the rake of the mast while racing by changing the length of the forestay strop provided the length and attachment limitations of Rule 36.4 are satisfied at all times.

Regatta Notice #64 -- New Measurement Certificates

Text of Regatta Notice #64 issued this morning by the Regatta Director:

As provided in the Notice of Race referenced above, the Measurement Committee has confirmed that new ACC Measurement Certificates have been issued for the following yachts, and the Front Page has been posted on the Official Notice Board. The change(s) made have not required the yacht to be refloated or re-weighed and were completed by 08h00 this date.

Sail # / Competitor Name / Yacht Club

ITA 94 / Luna Rossa Challenge / Yacht Club Italiano
ESP 97 / Desafío Español 2007 / Real Federación Española de Vela

A .pdf file of the RN #64 is available here.

Nice Ink?

Ever wonder how the AC cup logo is put onto a mainsail? Click here.

PI 33

Today the Measurement Committee issued Public Interpretation No. 33 concerning how to properly measure mainsail E-girths. Excerpt:

The sketch in Appendix G is incorrect in that it shows the inboard E point as intersection of the vertical grid line and the perpendicular E girth lines. The E-girths shall be measured along lines perpendicular to the vertical grid line, from the luff to the leech as shown in the corrected sketch below.

Drawing issued by the Measurement Committee with PI 33.

Carrot Fibre Yachts?

According to recent press reports, scientists in Scotland have developed a revolutionary new material called CurranTM, made from microscopic fibres extracted from carrots. Similar to carbon fibre, it is lighter, stronger and can be moulded into almost any shape when it is combined with special resins.

Maybe this latest tech development is why the British have decided to Challenge for the next America's Cup? We are checking with Andy Green (GBR), but in the meantime....

Your Ed. has been copied on an email to ACC Technical Director Ken McAlpine asking if this new exotic fibre would be legal under Version 5 of the Class Rule. The email was from a senior (at least in terms of age if not also stature) member of the Challenger Commission, who wishes to remain anonymous so as not to embarrass his/her team give away any of his/her team's potential design developments.

Mr. McAlpine's terse reply said that he would take it up with the Measurement Committee. He did add that perhaps aging members of the Challenger Commission, including your Ed., should eat more carrots for the sake of their eyesight and lower tracts.

These carrot fibre press reports have also brought renewed attention to other low tech health benefits of this potentially high tech vegetable. Indeed, one hears ACM is considering opening up yet another restaurant in the Port America's Cup -- this one to specialize in dishes using Valencia's second-leading (only to oranges) agri-produce, arroz, which can be combined with the orange legume to make carrot-fibre treats.

Maybe this fibrous development will bring Andrew "Carrot Top" Johns (NZL, legal advisor to the 1988 Big Boat Challenge, and now a successful vegetable farmer) out of his AC retirement.

One thing seems certain -- America's Cup teams from countries with a rich agricultural industry will be rooting for this new material.

PI 32

Today the Measurement Committee issued Public Interpretation No. 32 concerning deflection of fixed appendages, which is in follow-up to PI 22. No doubt our dear readers of a more technical bent will find this one interesting. An excerpt:

In a “fixed” appendage that has its primary structure deforming under lift and drag forces, the use of secondary structure that only comes into play after a certain amount of deflection has occurred in the primary structure and then limits the amount of deflection would not be deemed to be “controlling” the deflections, provided none of the structure is actively controlled in any way.

Measurement Matters

Following unanimous agreement of the AC 32 "Competitors" (all Challengers and the Defender), ACC Technical Director Ken McAlpine (AUS) has issued two amendments to the AC Class Rule. Amendment No. 4 bans the use of masthead sails in the pre-start. Amendment No. 5 clears up confusion over the use of staysails when a spinnaker is not set, e.g., when the yacht is taking a penalty or the spinnaker has blown out.

Also, the Measurement Committee chaired by Mr McAlpine has issued Public Interpretation No. 31 concerning backstays.

98 Claimed, Leaving Only 100

UPDATE 0730 Thu 11 Jan -- Last evening Alinghi confirmed that, indeed, they have been allocated sail number 100.


Today BMW ORACLE Racing confirmed what many had come to suspect once Luna Rossa announced, some weeks ago, that they had been allocated sail number 94 -- that 98 is, indeed, the American team's second (and final) new sail number for AC 32.

That leaves only number 100 allocated but unclaimed. Most of our readers will have long since deduced that it likely belongs to the Defender and joins SUI-91 as the other Swiss sail number for this AC cycle.

And with there not being enough lead time now to start and reasonably finish a new ACC yacht, it can be safely assumed (as we long ago projected here on the CCB) that for AC 32 we will get to sail number 100, just. When you think about it, that is some major achievement for an expensive, high-tech class that has been around only since 1990.

Most would agree the ACC continues to serve the America's Cup well. Many believe, including your Ed., that racing in the forthcoming LVC and Match will likely be the best in the long and storied history of the America's Cup -- in large part to the maturity now of the Class Rule, and the wisdom of those who penned the current "Version 5".

So here is the latest, and probably our last (for this Cup) update on the status of new-for-AC 32 ACC yachts, to the best of your Ed.'s knowledge, and with appreciation to Pierre Orphanidis of Valencia Sailing for his always helpful input....


RSA 83 -- Shosholoza, launched early 2005.
NZL 84 -- Emirates Team NZ, launched late 2005.
ITA 85 -- Plus 39, launched Q4 of 2006, sailed briefly.
ITA 86 -- Luna Rossa, launched in Q2 of 2006, raced in Acts 10-12, already been extensively modified and sailing again.
USA 87 -- BMW ORACLE Racing, launched in Q2 of 2006, raced in Acts 10-12.
ESP 88 -- Desafio Espanol, launched in Q2 of 2006, raced in Act 12.
GER 89 -- United Internet Team Germany, launched at Kiel in Q2 of 2006, now sailing in Valencia.
ITA 90 -- Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team, launched in Q2 and sailing in VLC.
SUI 91 -- Alinghi, launched in Q2 and sailed (not raced) in VLC; now sailing in Dubai with 64. 75 remained in VLC.
NZL 92 -- Emirates Team New Zealand, launched (Auckland) in Q4 of 2006, sailing now in NZL; said to be arriving VLC by plane from AKL in late February.
FRA 93 -- Areva Challenge, arrived at their base in VLC in late November and has been sailing in VLC since early December.
ITA 94 -- Luna Rossa's second boat was shipped from Italy to their base in VLC just before Christmas, where it is being fitted out for sailing in January.
CHN 95 -- China Team, was shipped from China to VLC in December, where it is now being fitted out for sailing in February.
SWE 96 -- allocated on 10 October to Victory Challenge; was unveiled in Sweden last week. Victory announced this afternoon that 96 is now en route (by ship and truck) to VLC. Following fitting out she should be ready to sail when the team returns from Dubai. Speaking of which, last week the team began training in Dubai alongside Alinghi with their AC 31 boats SWE 63 and SWE 73.
ESP 97 -- also allocated on 10 October, to Desafio Espanol; yacht in the final finishing out phase and expected to be sailing in VLC shortly.
USA 98 -- allocated on 13 October; built in Anacortes, Washington and shipped (by ship) over the year-end holidays to New Zealand where it arrived at BMW ORACLE's temporary "winter training" base this morning. 98 will tune against USA 71 in Auckland for an undisclosed number of weeks before being shipped (flown?) to VLC.
ITA 99 -- Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team, construction well along in Italy; to be launched in VLC in Q1 of 2007.
100 -- allocated on 27 November; as yet unclaimed. There can be little doubt that it belongs to Alinghi, who say they have a yacht under construction in Vevey, Switzerland. It has been rumoured that the deck is actually being constructed in Valencia at Alinghi's original, temporary base at the RCNV. Expected to be sailing in VLC in March.



Il Moro di Venezia I -- ITA 1 -- sailing in San Francisco Bay in 2003. The first of nearly 100 ACC yachts to be built (no. 13 was skipped and one or two others were allocated sail numbers but not completed), she was launched in Venice on 11 March 1990.



ITA 1 sailing upwind in SF Bay in 2003. Compared to today's increasingly narrow ACC yachts, do the words "aircraft carrier" come to mind?



The latest ACC yacht to be launched, AREVA Challenge's FRA 93, sailing upwind in Valencia during December. Photo: Frank Socha/AREVA Challenge.

99 Belongs to Mascalzone

Yesterday Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team announced what many had assumed -- that sail number 99, allocated by ACC Technical Director Ken McAlpine on 17 October, was their second new boat for AC 32.

So here's an updated list of sail numbers allocated during AC 32:

RSA 83 -- Shosholoza, launched early 2005.
NZL 84 -- Emirates Team NZ, launched late 2005.
ITA 85 -- Plus 39, launched Q4 of 2006, sailed briefly.
ITA 86 -- Luna Rossa, launched in Q2 of 2006, raced in Acts 10-12, already been extensively modified and sailing again.
USA 87 -- BMW ORACLE Racing, launched in Q2 of 2006, raced in Acts 10-12.
ESP 88 -- Desafio Espanol, launched in Q2 of 2006, raced in Act 12.
GER 89 -- United Internet Team Germany, launched at Kiel in Q2 of 2006, now sailing in Valencia.
ITA 90 -- Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team, launched in Q2 and sailing in VLC.
SUI 91 -- Alinghi, launched in Q2 and sailed (not raced) in VLC; soon to be sailing in Dubai with 64. 75 remained, and has been sailing, in VLC.
NZL 92 -- Emirates Team New Zealand, launched (Auckland) in Q4 of 2006, sailing now in NZL; said to be arriving VLC by plane from AKL in late February.
FRA 93 -- Areva Challenge, arrived at their base in VLC two days ago; naming ceremony set for 24 November, and to be sailing shortly thereafter.
94 -- allocated 15 September, not yet claimed by a team.
CHN 95 -- China Team, construction in China now complete, and soon to be shipped to VLC.
SWE 96 -- allocated on 10 October to Victory Challenge; construction well along and said to be sailing in VLC in Q1 of 2007.
ESP 97 -- also allocated on 10 October, to Desafio Espanol; construction well along and thought to be sailing in Valencia in early 2007 if not yet this year.
98 -- allocated on 13 October, not yet claimed by a team.
ITA 99 -- Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team, construction well along in Italy; to be launched in VLC in Q1 of 2007.

Will we get to 100 or even 101 during AC 32?

Likely 100, and most keen observers believe it will go to Alinghi's second AC 32 boat -- unless of course Alinghi has already been allocated one of the unclaimed numbers 94 or 98. As yet neither BMW ORACLE Racing nor Luna Rossa has claimed a second number, and both have announced intentions to build two boats.

101? Not unless Sweden's Victory Challenge intends to build a second new boat in the short time remaining. Victory has neither confirmed nor denied that a second boat would be built. Otherwise, to the best of our knowledge none of the other one-new-boat Challengers has announced intentions to build a second boat.

When you think about it, 18 new boats in a couple years in a class of this size, complexity and cost is, well, remarkable -- to say nothing of nearly 100 in 17 years (no. 13 was not allocated for reasons of superstition, and we believe one or two other numbers which were allocated were never built, or built but never sailed).