Last month ORACLE Racing invited the media to visit its base of operations located at Pier 80 and spend the afternoon on the Bay watching the ORACLE Racing teams practice in their AC45s.
Tucked between Alcatraz and the city shoreline, the new race course offers up-close viewing from any number of locations along the city front, with the Marina Green and Crissy Field among the prime locations. The exact location of the race course area will change slightly on any given day depending on weather conditions. ©2012 ACEA Google earth
Published: March, 2012
Last month ORACLE Racing invited the media to visit its base of operations located at Pier 80 and spend the afternoon on the Bay watching the ORACLE Racing teams practice in their AC45s.
Members of the media were given a tour of the massive facility in the morning and even allowed in the "top secret" area; after checking their cameras at the door, visitors could see work being done on the hulls for the new AC72 that could make their Bay debut as early as July 1.
The AC72 is the new class of America’s Cup yacht that is designed to a box rule—one that sets tight limits on parameters such as length, beam, weight and wingsail area. "No question the AC72 will be a big step up from the AC45 we are currently racing on the America’s Cup World Series circuit," said team skipper James Spithill. "The AC45s have proven spectacular; the AC72s will be sensational."
Since last year teams have raced the AC45 catamaran in the America’s Cup World Series, a circuit of events in Europe and the United States. The AC45 is a one-design yacht, meaning that each is built by a single manufacturer to the same exact specifications. CBC built the fleet of AC45 catamarans that were designed as a means to fast-track teams’ understanding of wingsail technology. The AC45 will continue on the World Series into next year.
The AC72 will be featured next summer in the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Series (July 4 to September 1, 2013) and America’s Cup Finals (September 7 to 22, 2013). The step up in performance will be phenomenal.
"In the AC45 class, the boats are the same so the results are often determined by the sailors who made the better decisions and handled their boat better," said ORACLE Racing CEO Russell Coutts, the all-time America’s Cup winner.
"In the AC72, teams will develop their own design so technology plays a bigger role. Compared to any previous America’s Cup, the design rule is relatively tight. Technology will produce a faster, smarter boat, but not a ‘golden bullet’ design," Coutts said.
During the press conference at the morning session a new, much tighter version of the proposed race course was also unveiled. This new course was designed so that the spectators along the waterfront will be able to see as much action as possible. The starting point will be located in front of Crissy Field with the finishing line being placed at Pier 27/29. The exact location of the race course area will change slightly on any given day depending on weather conditions.
The 30-minute races will involve the teams completing several laps on the course to maximize the spectators’ viewing experience. In the past, America’s Cup races have been several hours long on open seas with on-shore spectators having very limited viewing options.
The new course design will also alleviate some concerns regarding the America’s Cup races’ interference with the Bay Area’s extensive commercial shipping routes as well as the many commuter ferry routes.
ORACLE Racing contributed to this article.
ORACLE Racing’s AC45s take to the Bay for an afternoon show during the Media Day Event. Photo by Joel Williams
Members of the media were invited to ORACLE Racing’s base of operations at Pier 80. No photos were allowed in the “Top Secret” area behind the white drapes. Photo by Joel Williams
