New AC Boats

Out with the old... In with the new......
The preliminary information regarding the next America's Cup races and boats is out.  And there are some big changes from the boats used in the last two Cup races.  No more flying cats!!!! to start with.

But, not back to the 12-Meter boats or AC mono-hulls either......  An "all new" design is being called up.  Here are some recently published ideas...

  The boat is a 75-foot long monohull, and the design details will be complete by next spring

  Cost containment is a fundamental principal

  The boats will need to be built in the country challenging.

  Nationality rule: Citizenship requirement is a mere 20%, the rest of the sailing team needs a strict residency requirement in the country they are representing. “It’s not a strict thing, but it’s an attempt

  Cup is Auckland 2021, but there’s no infrastructure or plans yet.  2019 and 2020 there will be pre-regattas.

  Two boats allowed per team.

  Challenger series will be organized by the CoR.  AC will be organized by the defender.  Joint group for broadcasting/sponsorship/umpiring and other common issues.

  “They might be” foiling.  The next boat will be presented in November and it ‘definitely will be an exciting boat’.

  Some one-design componentry, some supplied parts likely.  Development ‘open in the really important areas’.

  10-12 crew, bicycles allowed.

  No tank testing allowed, no wind tunnels.

  If for any reason, it can’t be in Auckland, it’ll be in Italy.

  Prada Cup.  Yes, Louis Vuitton is gone, and Prada is not only title sponsor of the challenger series, but presenting sponsor for the big one.  Does LV have the balls to return on a Challenger’s sails?

  Independent regatta directors and race management, similar to Bermuda setup for RM.

  Longer races, ~40 minutes.  Longer pre-start, upwind start.

So, there you have it......  Probably races in NZ... but maybe in Italy????  Mono-hull,,, but maybe with foils?????
More to come later.

Barnacle Bill Holcomb
509 993 3214
BarnacleBillHolcomb@gmail.com

Don't Unintentionally Wear Out Your Sails

The investment in dollars that you have tied up in sails is a high percentage of the value of your boat (usually).  And, there are really only two things that wear out the sails fastest.  1) Letting your sails flog and luff a lot; and 2) Sunlight.  Both of these are preventable items and preventing them will help your sails last a lot longer than if you don’t.

Simply being aware that every time your sail flaps back-and-forth, it wears on itself.  Kinda like bending a credit card back-and-forth… sooner or later the card will break.  Same thing with your sails.  Sooner or later the sail will rip.

Sunlight though is really a nasty item.  If you don’t cover your sail properly, the sun will beat down on the fabric and steadily (over time) deteriorate the material to the point that the sail will have about as much strength as a well used handkerchief.

Here are a few photos of sailboats that have left their sails out in the sun for days, weeks, and even months……

No sunbrella on the roller furled jib…

No sunbrella on the roller furled jib…

No mainsail cover.  The mainsail just lies there baking in the sun…

So, if you want your sails to last longer, treat them properly.  Use sun-resistant covers for your roller furling jibs and cover your mainsail when it is flaked on the boom with a mainsail cover made of sunbrella (or similar fabric).

BarnacleBillHolcomb@gmail.com