All of the America's Cup teams have had an extremely busy January due to their training regimens being notably more intense. Data gathering and analysis are more crucial than ever, with only a few months till sign-off for the AC75 designs. Here, we examine all of the teams and significant advancements.
Emirates Team New Zealand
The Defenders (pictured top) had a busy January as they continued to test their anhedral full-span port foil and refined the sail and rig system controls on their AC40 (AC40-1) in LEQ12 development mode. Leo Takahashi and Liv Mackay started serving as captains at the end of the month as Sam Meech and Marcus Hansen alternated with the senior testing team. The Kiwis were testing new talent with an eye toward the Youth & Women's America's Cup. As the training programme moved into a new phase, the team set up two AC40s for the first time in early February.
INEOS Britannia
INEOS Britannia Team day 19, Sailing with T6 (LEQ12) Photo: Ugo Fonollá
The Challenger of Record has been very busy getting their LEQ12 prototype, code-named "T6," into full data-gathering mode while wintering in Palma. Midway through January, new sails were installed, and thanks to the team's highly technical, data-driven approach to this cycle, communication between engineers and sailors have improved. Iain Jensen and Bleddyn Mon have been instrumental in this. Although in slow motion, they "joined" the capsize club in late January. The crew intends to launch and sail its AC40 (AC40-2) that was delivered in October in February.
BoatZero - Alinghi Red Bull Racing Photo: Alex Carabi
Under the cautious eye of Sailing Team Advisor Pietro Sibello, the Swiss have been making progress on the sea since they set sail from Barcelona. January marked a turning point for the team on the water with a notable increase in energy and desire to push BoatZero harder in straight lines and through manoeuvres after spending four weeks in the workshop over Christmas installing a new self-tacking jib system.
American Magic boat Patriot (B2) (AC75 Class) Sailing inside Pensacola Bay in foggy conditions - Florida. Photo: Paul Todd
The NYYC American Magic is at the top of the list for time spent on the water, thanks to numerous hours and practically endless manoeuvres. The cyclor system was re-geared in January to enhance the hydraulics' power output, and the major technological advancement was the removal of the mainsheet ram from the clew to lie on a carrier mounted on a secondary track across the cockpit. This resulted in a more organized mainsail clew arrangement, and the Americans had some of the AC75's sharpest trim.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Photo: Ivo Rovira
The Italians, who seem rock solid in flight and precise through manoeuvres as they sail their LEQ12 prototype at race pace, day after day, had been training hard in Cagliari throughout January. This fully sensored boat has undergone a relentless data collecting campaign and was declared to have a new port foil and a new starboard foil arm. In addition to Francesco Bruni and Jimmy Spithill, Marco Gradoni and Ruggera Tita have been taking more and more turns behind the wheel. The Italians' ability to de-power in stronger conditions by inverting the top of the mainsail has brought sail design into sharp focus. The squad held a week-long camp in Persico 69Fs at the end of January.
Orient Express Team
As Afloat reported, the French are back in the America's Cup. It's a very welcome return with the announcement that the Accor Hotel Group, using its 'Orient Express' brand has committed to K-Challenge, for a syndicate to be named the 'Orient Express Team.' The French have brought in big names such as skipper Quentin Delapierre, ocean racing legend Franck Cammas as Head of Performance, experienced naval architect Benjamin Muyl and Antoine Carraz as Technical Director. The team, led by Stéphan Kandler and Bruno Dubois will benefit from a latest generation technology package provided by the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand to allow Orient Express Team to gain time and start on equal terms with its opponents.
