New 'mini' Cup class takes flight

The first new ‘mini’ America’s Cup class, the AC40, has been launched in New Zealand and took flight on its first sail this September, after some successful tow-testing.

The AC40 is a brand new design by the Cup Defenders’ team, and buying one is a requirement of entry for all teams in the 37th America’s Cup. The AC40s will be sailed in one-design mode for the Youth and Women's America’s Cup event, and can be modified by teams to use as a trial horse to test design developments for their AC75.

On its maiden sail, the AC40 was helmed by new New Zealand recruit Nathan Outteridge along with ETNZ coach Ray Davies.

On its first outing, the crew successfully completed a foiling tack and foiling gybe, showing how rapidly the design of this new generation of foiling monohulls has evolved.

Despite his considerable America’s Cup experience (Outteridge was the skipper of Artemis Racing in both the 2013 and 2017 America’s Cups racing in foiling catamarans) this was the Australian’s first day sailing one of the Cup foiling monohull yachts. Nevertheless, the Kiwi team reports that it took just a few minutes for Outteridge to go from a cautious displacement mode to popping the AC40 up onto its foils and off on starboard tack.

The opening speeds of the AC40 were impressive, with the 40-footer reaching a top speed of over 34 knots downwind and 27 knots upwind in a steady north-westerly breeze.

“It was obviously a very successful day, it was an impressive boat to sail for my first time sailing this type of boat,” Outteridge said after.

“A little unnerving when trying to build speed, but once you get a bit of speed and the foil engages it goes from about 10 knots to 20 knots in about 5 seconds. So both pretty impressive, the acceleration and the reliability.”

One key component that will require thorough testing is the autopilot flight control, which will be used in the one-design configuration. “With a smaller crew and less experienced crew on these boats for the Women’s and Youth racing, the autopilot will be a really important feature,” explained Dan Bernasconi, head of design.

Meanwhile, on its second day of sailing, the team hit over 40 knots sailing and had a first realtime, if gentle, capsize practice, when the AC40 tipped over after being released from its tow.

“We pushed off, didn’