America's Cup Boats

[Stephen Hutchins]

Just wondering if any of you forumites could grace us would-be designers with info on these boats. Specifically, how high they point,D/L ratios, SA/D ratios, length, beam, draft, displacement, and, most importantly, rules governing their design. I'm curious to know others thoughts on their stage in evolution in regards to their design parameters, and, who decides when and how often the rules should be altered.

[Venchka]

Here you go. This ought to get you started. All you need now is a zillion dollars worth of computer hardware & software, folks who know how to drive said software, a few more zillion dollars for tank testing, construction, sails, payroll, etc. and PRESTO!. You could win or finish last at the next America's Cup regatta.

America's Cup Rule-2000 (http://www.coppamerica.net/Acc4.pdf)

[Venchka]

ps

All of the usual yardstick numbers you mentioned above don't exist in the rule. Only after a boat is built, measured and all the minute trivia is crunched through the RULE FORMULA do you even know if the darn boat is legal for competition.

It is a development rule so you can pretty much have most any length, beam, displacement, sail area, etc. you like. The trick is to be fastest. Oh, and nobody gives away many particulars about their boats.

The good news is that you can buy an old boat and get all of the computer data & tank testing data that was used to produce the boat. But, it's last years boat. Next year's boat might be better. Sort of a tail chasing exercise. Fueled my mega-bucks of money.

Don't misunderstand, like Formula 1 or Lemans racing, I love the heck out of the America's Cup. There just isn't much relevance to the real world until a few items of gear trickle down to the masses.

[John B]

ain't an expert.but the things I picked up were that the boats were a lot narrower generally this last time.
I can't remember the weights( don't quote me) but if they were to weigh 23 tons all up, 20 is in the keel/bulb.ie phenomenal weight in the keel.
The double knuckle bows are rule cheaters only with no particular mechanical function. so was the hula.( the WL is measured 200mm or so above the actual WL so you want the least amount of overhang possible in that 200mm)
As a trend, the boats are tending to evolve(devolve?) back into full counter sterns.

[Stephen Hutchins]

Thanks for the response guys. I guess I just assumed the rules were carved in stone, else I would expect a quicker evolution. -Not of hull shape but of rig and keels. Which would actually require a change in hull shape. Ahh,Isn't it great when your next thought surprises yourself?

[johnw]

Actually, there's been some interesting stuff tried, at least with keels. A couple boats have tried twin (fore and aft) keels. And sail fabrics that are increasingly costly and impractical for anything but the highest level of racing.

Once you run all the numbers for the boat through the formula, the number at the end to measure in is supposed to be 42. Because Douglas Adams' creation, Deep Thought, decided that the answer to "Life, the Universe and Everything" was 42. You get a bunch of techies in a room, they've all read "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxie" series.

[Snoo973]

u can start looking in the net and collecting a bunch of info and drawings here and there and from the sites of the different teams.
If u know how to use a good cad u can get something out of the drawings maybe for a model.

then u can give a look to this:
http://www.rnzys.org.nz/frameset-amcup.html

and in here:
http://www.rnzys.org.nz/frameset-amcup.html
u can find two videos that may give you a couple more info on what is the "not told".
who knows, at the end of the collage u can come up with a new America's Cup boat....or the last russian nuclear submarine....ya never know...

[Leon Steyns]

Speaking of subs... the TNZ boat in this year's AC had a torpedo-like bulb and actually tried to dive (but some cheap plastic flaps and duck-tape prevented this... smile.gif Some much for zillion dollar design and high-tech material. But equipment failure has little to do with sports.

Greets, Leon Steyns.