| There are so many similarities between the America’s Cup yacht and our aircraft design, that each partner benefits from an excellent platform not only to learn and grow but also to win. |
| Fabrice Brégier, Airbus President & CEO |
Airbus will also share its know-how in aerodynamics, instrumentation and simulation, structures, hydraulics and data analysis with the yacht design team.
Much like airplanes ...
America's Cup yachts are primarily constructed of carbon fibre composite. The new Airbus A350 XWB, which made its maiden flight last year, is the first Airbus aircraft to be over 50 wt% composite.
“The America’s Cup is a boat race, but the design technology and engineering are very often the winning factor,” says ORACLE TEAM USA skipper Jimmy Spithill.
“The new America’s Cup boats are lighter and faster than what we’ve had before. They will be powered by a wing and will fly above the water on foils. They’re as much like airplanes as they are like traditional boats, so I know we’ll have a lot to learn from the experience the engineers at Airbus bring to the project.”
ORACLE TEAM USA first won the America’s Cup in 2010 racing a trimaran powered by one of the largest wings (68 m) ever built. In 2013, the team successfully defended its title in the AC72 class – wingsail powered catamarans that flew above the water on hydrofoils at over 50 mph (90 kph).
The next America’s Cup will be in 2017 and raced in the new AC62 class – a smaller, lighter and more finely engineered foiling catamaran than its predecessor that is expected to reach similar speeds.
- ORACLE TEAM USA has also been working with aircraft manufacturer Boeing on the recycling of its carbon fibre yachts.
