News

America’s Cup: Taking steps toward AC75

Published on August 31st, 2018

(August 31, 2018) – On the day that the America’s Cup race course and event dates were announced in Cowes, Isle of Wight, where the Cup began back in 1851, INEOS TEAM UK the British Challenger for the 36th America’s Cup also released the first official images of their test boat, known as T5, a small scale foiling mono-hull.

Under the America’s Cup rules, no team’s full-size AC75 race boat can be launched until before the March 31, 2019. So to prepare, the Brits hope that T5 can give them a jump, launching the boat in late June and training with it from the team’s Portsmouth base through the summer.

Facts and Figures:
• T5 is a 28-foot foiling monohull, it began life as a Quant 28 but has been significantly modified to match the fundamental parameters of the AC75, the class of boat that will contest the 36th America’s Cup.
• The modifications involved installing two foil arms, T-foils and control systems, changing the rudder, deck layout, hardware and rig.
• The boat is scaled at 40% of the AC75.
• T5 will allow the team to learn to sail a completely new concept of sailboat and verify computer modelling and simulations for the design of their first race boat.

Photos by © HARRY KH / INEOS TEAM UK

Key America’s Cup dates:
✔ September 28, 2017: 36th America’s Cup Protocol released
✔ November 30, 2017: AC75 Class concepts released to key stakeholders
✔ January 1, 2018: Entries for Challengers open
✔ March 31, 2018: AC75 Class Rule published
✔ June 30, 2018: Entries for Challengers close
✔ August 31, 2018: Location of the America’s Cup Match and The PRADA Cup confirmed
✔ August 31, 2018: Specific race course area confirmed
November 30, 2018: Late entries deadline
March 31, 2019: Boat 1 can be launched
2nd half of 2019: 2 x America’s Cup World Series Preliminary Events
February 1, 2020: Boat 2 can be launched
During 2020: 3 x America’s Cup World Series Preliminary Events
December 10-20, 2020: America’s Cup Christmas Race
January and February 2021: The PRADA Cup Challenger Selection Series
March 2021: The America’s Cup Match

Details: www.americascup.com