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Bermuda hosts 2017 America's Cup
Teams to launch AC50 race boats
Sailing has long been known for pushing the boundaries of technology, and this year’s America’s Cup will be no different.
With the 35th edition of sailing’s most coveted prize just around the corner, the skippers will soon get their hands on the shiny new boats they’ll be racing around the shores of Bermuda.
After spending 2016 competing in standardized AC45F class vessels, each team will now showcase its technological prowess by racing a customized America’s Cup Class (ACC) boat.
Also known as the AC50 class, as each boat is just under 50 feet in length, one of these six-man marvels will carry one crew to glory in June’s final showdown.
Competition began in Portsmouth, England back in June 2015 with the first round of the America’s Cup World Series, which came to a conclusion last November with an event in Fukuoka, Japan.
Now the crews and their high-tech machines head to Bermuda for the start qualification and playoff races in May.
Eventually, just one team will be left to challenge reigning champion Oracle Team USA in June’s finale.
“It is that point we’ve all been working towards; designers, engineers, boat builders,” Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill told CNN’s Mainsail show.
“All the boat development we’ve been working on comes up to this point. Once you launch that boat, we’ve got a set amount of time to sail it and to get it ready.
“From what we’ve seen, in the turbo boats and our development boats, they are going to be incredible.”
Ben Ainslie, skipper of World Series winner Land Rover BAR, is aiming to become Britain’s first champion in the 165-year-old event.
He has previously called it a “very ambitious” target, and has spoken about the complexity of this new class of boat.
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“As you can imagine, it’s not just the hulls and the composites that go into the hull, but a lot of the systems are also very technical,” said the Briton, who is a four-time Olympic gold medal winner.
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“Those systems are going to be a big part of the performance.”
Amends to clarify the class of boat that will be used in the America’s Cup.
