A team of marine engineers has successfully completed a month long program of water testing of its AC Test (AC45 Turbo) catamaran. The vessel was made using Thin Ply prepreg materials, lightweight glue films and automated tape laying (ATL) technology supplied by North Thin Ply Techology (NTPT), a supplier of lightweight prepregs.
Using the materials allowed the design team to improve the lay-ups and fiber orientations in the aft wing flaps, removing critical weight high up in the yacht’s wing rig, the company says.
Groupama Team France, which built the boat, now plan to sail it in the next round of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series (LCACWS). This event, to be sailed in the AC 45F catamarans, will be held in Toulon, France, from 9 to 11 September 2016.
