It’s spring season for the America’s Cup as the boats to compete in the 37th edition come out of the sheds and into the daylight. So far it has been Great Britain, Switzerland, and USA, but the biggest splash is now defender New Zealand.

After an intensive 10 month building program, Emirates Team New Zealand’s brand new AC75 had been transported under the cover of darkness from the team’s North Shore build facility to their Wynyard Point base, and then emerged on April 11 in preparation for its launch and commissioning phase in Auckland.

“It is always a pretty significant moment for any team. The first time their race boat emerges from the shed and sees the light of day,” said Emirates Team New Zealand COO Kevin Shoebridge. “So much of any America’s Cup campaign goes on behind closed doors and with the utmost secrecy protecting designs and plans, but there always comes a time when you need to show some of your cards.”

While the full naming ceremony and blessing is not scheduled until later this month, the Kiwis wasted little time to get on the water. With the weather clearing in Auckland, they quietly launch the raceboat a day later, not only for tow-testing but the sailors also managed to launch sails and be the first boat of the new AC75 cycle to actually sail.

“Awesome day to get the raceboat out of the shed, get everything calibrated, get through all our checks and then get a short sail in at the end of the day just before we lost the light,” reports skipper Peter Burling. “It was absolutely amazing and incredible effort by everyone involved in the team to get that done.

“It was pretty incredible to be able to sheet on and get a few foiling tacks straight off the bat but the boat felt really good, it felt quite like we predicted it to which was nice as well, and now we’re looking forward to going back and having a good look at the data and trying to make good plan going forward.”

“We’ve definitely been pretty aggressive with the design, so we’re really happy with what we’ve produced. This is the most exciting time when you get to see what everyone’s been up to for the last two years, so to wheel it out of the shed and finally have it out in the open and be testing and developing on it was incredible.”

From the recon report:
• The mast is noticeably more aft of the foil arms than on the previous generation.

• The initial hull underbelly has a slenderer bustle/skeg running all the way aft having begun at a micro-chine on the bow, with a more pinched and acute stern housing a rudder off the back of the skinny bustle taper.

• The foil arm junction has a volume-reducing indent for the ‘crew-area’ of the hull. The foil arms and foils appear to be either legacy or very much base models, indicating a desire to not yet reveal those designs.

• Compared to the Alinghi Red Bull Racing reveal, the hull is aggressively flared off the bustle to produce an almost flat flaring that runs aft whilst the crew pod area tapers smoothly as opposed to the harsh cut-out that was on display by the Swiss.

• The bow and foredeck profile is conservative, eschewing the ‘Venturi’ bumps or tunnel profile as seen on the Swiss reveal, although the hull/deck join is certainly a nod to aero simulation and modelling.

• The bow itself is sharp and thin, coming to the minimum volume quickly after a fine entry – certainly a consideration for the expected waveforms in Barcelona – and from bow-on the hull flairing is very evident.

• Up forward, just ahead of the trim station, the jib tracks and the 3D trim mechanism are sunk into small pods either side. From dead astern, the form is virtually elliptical, tapering smoothly to the transom.

• The crew configuration has four crew on each side with the cyclors aft, the helm position immediately after the cyclors, and the trimmer in the forward position – a set-up that they previously used.

Following the publication of the AC37 Protocol and AC75 Class Rule on November 17, 2021, the AC75 Class Rule and AC Technical Regulations were finalized on March 17, 2022. The entry period opened December 1, 2021 and runs until July 31, 2022, but late entries for the 37th America’s Cup may be accepted until May 31, 2023. The Defender was to announce the Match Venue on September 17, 2021 but postponed the venue reveal, confirming it would be Barcelona on March 30, 2022. The 37th America’s Cup begins October 12, 2024.

Teams revealed to challenge defender Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
• INEOS Britannia (GBR)
• Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI)
• Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team (ITA)
• NYYC American Magic (USA)
• Orient Express Racing Team (FRA)

2023-24 Preliminary Regattas
September 14-17, 2023 (AC40): Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
November 30-December 2 (AC40): Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
August 22-25, 2024 (AC75): Barcelona, Spain

2024 Challenger Selection Series
August 29-September 8: Double Round Robin
September 14-19: Semi Finals (Best of 9)
September 26-October 7: Finals (Best of 13)

2024 America’s Cup
October 12-21: 37th Match (Best of 13)

For more schedule details, click here.
Additionally, 12 teams will compete in the 2024 Youth & Women’s America’s Cup.

Noticeboard: https://ac37noticeboard.acofficials.org/
Additional details: www.americascup.com/en/home

Source: ACE

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The Salty Dawg Sailing Association says that two of its members have vanished and their boat found anchored and abandoned off St. Vincent. Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel, longtime members of the SDSA, were last anchored in Grenada; their 48-foot St. Francis catamaran, Simplicity, was found anchored and abandoned off a beach on the south coast of St. Vincent.

Officials believe their disappearance may be connected to three dangerous inmates who had escaped from a Grenada prison, the organization said in a media release.

“This is very upsetting event, and details are still unconfirmed by the authorities, but this does appear to be a tragic event–our hopes and prayers are with Ralph and Kathy and the family who love them,” said SDSA President Bob Osborn. “I have spoken to the families and have offered our deepest condolences and our assistance in any way possible. In all my years of cruising the Caribbean, I have never heard of anything like this.”

From the SDSA release:

On Wednesday, February 21, [2024] the Salty Dawg Sailing Association Executive Director Tatja

Hopman was alerted by a cruising skipper that a member’s yacht, Simplicity, was anchored and abandoned off a beach on the south coast of the Caribbean island of St. Vincent.

The good Samaritan had boarded the boat and noted that the owners, Ralph Hendry and Kathy Brandel, were not onboard and found evidence of apparent violence. Contact information for the SDSA was posted and the skipper contacted the association.

The good Samaritan contacted the St. Vincent coast guard alerting them of the situation; they in turn notified the local police. The Coast Guard took possession of Simplicity and the St. Vincent police are currently investigating with the U.S Embassy and the Grenada police department.

Kathy Brandel and Ralph Hendry are veteran cruisers and longtime members of the Salty Dawg Sailing Association from its earliest days. Warm-hearted and capable, they both contributed to building the SDSA, and Kathy sat on the association’s board for two years.

Kathy and Ralph had sailed Simplicity in the 2023 Caribbean Rally from Hampton, Virginia, to Antigua and were spending the winter cruising the Eastern Caribbean. The SDSA has a live member’s tracking map where boats can be followed as they cruise, and Simplicity’s track shows that Kathy and Ralph were anchored in Grenada and then the boat moved directly to its last anchorage off St. Vincent.

Shortly after the incident was reported to police, news came out that three dangerous inmates had escaped from a Grenada prison and were at large. It is speculated that the escapees boarded Simplicity. Wednesday afternoon, St. Vincent police reported that the three suspects had been detained.

The Salty Dawg Sailing Association is a Rhode Island registered 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to fostering seamanship, safety at sea, passagemaking, and the camaraderie of the cruising community. www.saltydawgsailing.org

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