AC 35 Proposes Downsizing Catamarans

In an official statement last week from America’s Cup 35 organizers, it was announced that the 2017 competition will likely be sailed in much smaller boats than previously anticipated, in order to "dramatically reduce team operational costs, primarily by racing in a smaller boat."

AC 35 Commercial Commissioner Harvey Schiller was quoted as saying, "After reviewing prototypes of the new AC45 sports boats being tested on the water over the past several months, it is clear that if we raced smaller boats in 2017, we could dramatically reduce costs without sacrificing any of the spectacle or the design, engineering and athletic challenge fundamental to the America’s Cup.

"We have a responsibility to think of what is best for the long term health of the America’s Cup as well as improving the value equation for team principals and partners. Racing a smaller boat in 2017 and beyond is a big step in the right direction."

According to the official AC site this morning, a vote between principals will take place this week seeking majority approval of the cost-reduction measures. Today’s statement further clarifies that AC 35 will likely be sailed in wingsail foiling cats between 45 and 50 feet in length. (As far as we know, the first AC World Series event will still take place as scheduled, June 6-7 at Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy, in foiling AC45s.)

Latitude‘s position on the proposed changes is that the America’s Cup is — or at least should be — an event far too big and prestigious for mere 45-footers. If drastically reducing the budgets to attract/maintain participants is the general idea, we believe they would be better off going to MOD70 trimarans or something similar. No, they don’t plane, but, as Tom Siebel’s MOD70 Orion has proven on the Bay and Lloyd Thornburg’s MOD70 has proven in the Caribbean, big multihulls don’t have to plane to sail at over 40 knots.