IS SHE fast ENOUGH?
Like most observers, my familiarity with hydrodynamics and aerodynamics extends to being able to spell them correctly. For me, this 36th America’s Cup – with its radical AC75 foiling monohulls – blends the two disciplines more tightly than ever before in the event’s 170-year history. The regatta, according to everyone from armchair experts to the world’s foremost naval architects, might be more about ‘flying’ than ‘sailing’.
That assessment was reinforced’s launch in mid-November. A significant design leap from her predecessor (which was already pretty damn quick) ETNZ’s new boat has drawn wide acclaim for her unusual, aggressive lines. And the commentary/analysis revolves as much about her shape/form the water as the bits below.
