America's Cup World Series
Open-knowledge reference entry
The America's Cup World Series are match races and fleet regattas used as heats for the 2013 America's Cup and the 2017 America's Cup.
The Yachts
AC45 and AC45F
The World Series uses AC45 catamarans, a one-design wingsail catamaran designed specifically for the event by Oracle Racing. The AC45 was conceived as a smaller version of the larger AC72 class rule which was used for the 2013 America's Cup. In 2015, the class was modified to AC45F which incorporated hydrofoiling capability for improved performance, with boats achieving peak speeds of 37kt.
The AC45 has the following specifications:
design: Mike Drummond & Oracle Racing
builder: Core Builders Composites (NZ) & TP Cookson (NZ)
build: honeycomb core, carbonfiber sandwich
length: 13.45 m (44.1 ft)
beam: 6.90 m (22.6 ft)
weight: 1,290–1,320 kg (2,840–2,910 lb)
maximum draught : 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in)
air draught : 21.5 m (71 ft) without extension, 25.5 m (84 ft) with extension
wing: 20 m (66 ft) 83.5 m2 (899 sq ft) wing element with three slotted flaps
extension: 4 m (13 ft) high, 8.7 m2 (94 sq ft) area
jib area: 48 m2 (520 sq ft), provided by sail loft of team's choice (2011–2013 series), provided by North Sails (2015–2016 series)
gennaker area: 125 m2 (1,350 sq ft), provided by sail loft of team's choice (2011–2013 series), provided by North Sails (2015–2016 series)
crew: 5 + 1 guest
daggerboards: two conventional leeboards (2011–2013 series) with raking L-type elevators (2015–2016 series)
rudders: two balanced spade rudders (2011–2013 series) with T-type horizontal stabilizers (2015–2016 series)
Testing platform
The AC45 are authorized to be taken out of measurement to serve as a testing platform for the America's Cup. Oracle Racing released photographs of an AC45 hydrofoiling with L-type appendages on June 18, 2012, a premonition of Team New Zealand's larger foiling AC72 Aotearoa test boat first spotted in Auckland on August 29, 2012. In February 2015 Oracle Racing and Artemis Racing tested two AC45s modified by Core Builders; They featured L-type hydrofoils, horizontal rudder stabilizers, lengthened crossbeams (herego wide beam), a shortened jib-only bowsprit extending into a centerline pod under the wing, flaring topsides, closed transoms, opened hulls with deep cockpits for binnacles and wheels, replacing the tiller. The authorization does not permit to lengthen the hulls. All other teams carried out similar experiments with the platform.
2011–13 World Series
Nine events were held between 2011 and 2012 in the lead up to the 2013 America's Cup.
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