The AC72:

The AC72 is a 72-foot catamaran with a wingsail.  These are the boats which will be used in the 34th Defense of the America's Cup in 2013, and in the Louis Vuitton Cup regatta which selects the Challenger for the America's Cup.
Jump to: ETNZ | Artemis Racing | Oracle Team USA | Luna Rossa or scroll down

Yacht design and construction began in 2011, with the first launch permitted in July, 2012, for early testing, and actual racing coming in 2013.  Each team's designers and builders create their own hulls, wings, soft sails, and underwater foils within the confines of the rules, and test and refine their designs as the racing moves forward.  Sailing time was at first limited by the rules.  Track the AC72 sailing days  The first AC72s were limited to 30 sailing days each before January 31, 2013.  Teams may build a second AC72 yacht as their resources allow, launching February 1, 2013 or later, and limited to 45 sailing days until May.  There were no official restrictions after May 1.
 

	Boat #2 First Sail in San Francisco. Click image for more. Photo:©2013 Chris Cameron/ETNZ
	Boat #1. Click image for more. Photo:©2012 Chris Cameron/ETNZ

Emirates Team New Zealand

The team has built two AC72's. Boat #2 was launched in early February.  Boat #1 will be kept in reserve.  The ETNZ equipment arrived in San Francisco May 8, comprising over 70 shipping containers plus the oversize items, and the team began sailing again May 23 as scheduled.

ETNZ is also partnering with Luna Rossa Challenge to provide engineering and construction resources to help the Italians with their first AC72.  ETNZ revealed their first boat in mid-July, 2012, with an elaborate launching ceremony on July 21.  In late August photos surfaced of the boat on foils, sailing with both hulls out of the water, surprising many, though the other AC72s are now expected to use similar techniques.  After Sailing Day 16 of the initial 30, ETNZ cat #1 was taken to the shop for modifications based on early test results, plus fitting of aerodynamic fairings, emerging again on Nov 13.  On Dec 12, the boat reached its 30th day of testing, and was decommissioned. 
 

Boat #2 Photos and Stories:
(May 23) First sail in San Francisco: Photos
(Apr 4) Last Sail in NZ: Photos
(Mar 18) Wing #1 damaged: NZ Herald and Sail-World
(Mar 1) More great photos from Chris Cameron
(Feb 13) Second Sail: Photos
(Feb 12) First Sail: Photos
(Feb 4) Launch and Naming: Photos

Boat #1 Photos and Stories:
Video Re-cap of 30 Sailing Days for Boat #1
(Dec 12) 30/30 End of the Line for Boat 1 |
(Dec 6) D28: ETNZ Goes for Broke: Video
(Dec 4) Day 26: Race Training with Luna Rossa
(Nov 27) Six Sailing Days Remaining for ETNZ: Video
(Nov 20) ETNZ and Luna Rossa Sail Together: Photos
(Nov 17) Trimmer Glenn Ashby: 60 kts Apparent Wind
(Nov 12) Video of Post-Mod Rollout at ETNZ Blog
(Nov 1) Aerial Images from Chris Cameron
(Oct 17) Onboard Images with Chris Cameron

ETNZ Sailing Day 11 with Orma 60: Photos at Sail-World

ETNZ Sailing Day 5 on Foils:
Photos and Media Day Video (YouTube)

ETNZ AC72 first sail

ETNZ Lines Plan: Chevalier-Taglang

Plus:
ETNZ Roll Out
ETNZ Launching Ceremony in Auckland
ETNZ Builds New Chase Boat to Keep up with AC72

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	Artemis boat #2 first sail, July 24. Click image to enlarge and see more photos.  Photo:©2013 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget
	Artemis sails boat #1 for the first time. Click image to read more. Photo:©2012 Sander van der Borch/Artemis Racing

Artemis Racing

Artemis Racing debuted their first wingsail months before their boat was completed.  The wing was tested onboard an ORMA trimaran, which is permitted under the rules, in trials off of Valencia, Spain.  Reports were that the mast suffered a major failure related to structural design and not just a simpler component failure.  Artemis investigated the failure extensively.  The boat arrived in San Francisco in August, 2012.  Christening had been planned for mid-October, but the boat was damaged in tow-testing the morning of the ceremony, delaying launch by additional weeks.  The Swedish boat was launched on November 3 with the first sailing day on November 13.  The new Artemis boat was watched closely, with some observers wondering if she was ever intended to foil, and the team eventually confirmed the boat was not designed as a foiler.  In early February on San Francisco Bay, Artemis sailed in the company of Oracle's AC72 for the first time.  Shortly afterward, the team said that they had learned from the match-up and sent the boat into the work shed for modifications, sailing again starting March 22. The team's second boat arrived in San Francisco in early May and was expected to launch soon after.  The team's first boat was extensively damaged in an accident on May 9, killing crew member Andrew Simpson.  The accident delayed the preparation of boat #2, which received modifications including structural reinforcements before launching July 22.  Artemis will miss the Rounds Robin of the Louis Vuitton Cup, but expects to be ready in time for the LVC Semi-Finals.

Boat #2:
(Jul 24) First Sail for "Big Blue": Photos and Video
(Jul 22) Boat #2 Launched: Photos and Press Release
(Jul 10) Boat #2 rotated for Load Testing: Photos
May 2013: Social Media Sneak Peeks from Artemis:
Unloading, Wrapped, Unwrapped

Boat #1 Photos and Stories:
(May 9) Photo of Artemis Docking Out Thursday Morning
(Dec 17) Boatspotting: D9 Spyshots at Pressure Drop
(Dec 3) Soaking it Up, Afterguard in Learning Mode
(Nov 26) Loïck Peyron on Helming AR's AC72
(Nov 13) First Sailing Day: Photo Gallery
(Nov 3) Christening and launching
Team Site: Artemis AC72 Damaged before Christening

Unloading Boat #1 in San Francisco:
Artemis AC72 Revealed

Comparison of Artemis and ETNZ Wing:
Chevalier-Taglang Blog

Trialing the Wing in Valencia:
Artemis Testing First AC72 Wing

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	Oracle Team USA's Second AC72 yacht on its first sail. Photo:©2013 Guilain Grenier/Oracle Team USA
	Oracle's AC72 yacht foiling on San Francisco Bay in February. Click image to view gallery.  Photo:©2013 Guilain Grenier/Oracle Team USA

Oracle Team USA

Oracle has built two boats to defend the America's cup.  Oracle's hulls were built inside the team shed on Pier 80 in San Francisco, joining a number of other components such as cross-beams and the wing sail built in New Zealand by Core Builders.  Wing #1 was raised the last week of August 2013, the hull was launched and tow-tested on San Francisco Bay, the wing stepped to the hull platform later that week, and boat #1 christened "17" with the first sail taking place on August 31.  Two hours into the first sail, though, damage occurred to the daggerboards and related gear.  Oracle adapted temporary daggerboards and the cat was in action again Sept 17th, testing sails.   October 1, the fourth day of sailing, saw the boat foiling, and mid-October the AC72 was back on the water with several modifications, including to the helm.  In its eighth day of sailing, on October 16, the boat capsized in testing on San Francisco Bay.  The crew was reported safe, but the boat had extensive damage, with the wing destroyed.  After repairs to the platform and arrival of the team's second wingsail, 17 was re-launched February 4.  The team's second AC72 was launched April 23, 2013, and had its first official sail on April 24.

(June 26) Both Oracle boats sail together for the first time: Oracle Press Release

Boat #2:
(April 23) Christening and Launching:
Press Release | Photos: Team | Chuck Lantz
(April 20) Sneak Peek Photos: Guilain Grenier

Boat #1:
(Feb 28) Aerial photos from Guilain Grenier
(Feb 24) Oracle "17.2" Foiling: Photos
(Feb 6) Back on the water: Team Video
(Feb 4) Press Release and photos: Oracle Boat #1 Re-launched

(Oct 16) Capsize, aftermath, and salvage:
Oracle AC72 Capsize Photos | Video of the actual pitchpole at YouTube

Gallery of Oracle AC72 testing:
Photographer Chris Cameron

Oracle AC72 Fourth Sailing Day (Oct 1): Up on Foils
See Photos
Oracle AC72 Third Sailing Day (Sep 28):
See Photos
Oracle AC72 Second Sailing Day (Sep 17):
See Photos | Read Press Release

First Sail (Aug 31): Shake and Break Photos

More Photos and Stories:
Oracle Wing Ships Out
Oracle AC72 components Arrive at Pier 80 | More Photos
Oracle Planning for Late August: Press Release
Oracle AC72 Wing Nearly Ready
Oracle AC72 Launched | Team Video

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	Luna Rossa's AC72 tuning up for the Louis Vuitton Cup on San Francisco Bay. Click image to enlarge and see more photos. Photo:©2013 Chuck Lantz

Luna Rossa Challenge 2013

Luna Rossa has built a single AC72.  The Italian cat was launched October 26th, 2012, for testing in New Zealand, some of it against ETNZ's first new boat, which was an essentially identical design developed in cooperation.  Luna Rossa was a late entry to the 2013 America's Cup cycle, and contracted with ETNZ to provide design services and construction of key components, which, provided certain restrictions are met, is in keeping with the Protocol rules for this Cup cycle.  Luna Rossa's boat arrived in San Francisco in late April, and originally planned to re-launch on May 10, but external events and weather delayed the Italians' debut on the Bay until May 18.

Tuning Up: Chuck Lantz Photos (Jun 27)
Luna Rossa First Sail in San Francisco (May 18)

ETNZ and Luna Rossa Sail Together: Photos (Nov 20)

Early Training on the Hauraki Gulf:
Photos at Sail-World (Nov 10)

Launching (Oct 26, 2012):
Read Luna Rossa Press Release plus
see Launch photos and Hull Detail Photos at Sail-World, and pre-launch closeups at Vsail.info

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