British America’s Cup AC75 sees the light

After the Alinghi Red Bull Racing had a swanky reveal for their AC75 on Friday, and the Kiwis splashed their new boat for its first sail on Friday, now its the INEOS Britannia, the British Challenger of Record, that pulled back the curtain on their AC75 race boat for the very first time.

The week’s end is for boat shows.

Code-named RB3, it emerged from the team base in Barcelona on Saturday (April 20) for rig stepping and checking in preparation for her first sail. It was the first time the race boat had been in public view after two-and-a-half years of design, build and fit-out.

Up until this point, RB3 had been shrouded in secrecy and was kept under wraps for its 1,000 mile journey from its UK base in Northamptonshire to Barcelona earlier this month. Preparations are now underway for RB3’s first sailing day, as well as its official naming ceremony.

“We have been keeping RB3 under wraps for such a long time that it’s almost surreal to see her out of the shed and in public view here in Barcelona,” admitted Skipper Sir Ben Ainslie. “Thousands of hours of work have gone into this boat and so it’s great to finally reveal her to the world. Things are really stepping up in the campaign now, and we are looking forward to launching RB3 and getting out on the water very soon.”

RB3 began its lifecycle with INEOS Britannia’s design and engineering team, which is based at the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team site in Brackley, Northamptonshire. INEOS Britannia partnered with the F1 Team’s Applied Science division to bring together some of the best talent from the high-performance marine and automotive industries for its America’s Cup Campaign.

The initial build took place at Carrington Boats in Hythe, Hampshire, before it was then transported to the INEOS Britannia team at Turweston in Northamptonshire for structural and load testing. On April 2, RB3 left Turweston for its journey to Spain, arriving at the INEOS Britannia Barcelona base on April 6.

INEOS Britannia has become the fourth team to reveal their AC75, with just two teams left to showcase their race boats. While Orient Express Racing Team has yet to show their hand, the AC75 for American Magic was flown from the USA to Spain but has been hidden from view.

For an early review of the boat, click here.

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: Athena Racing