Team New Zealand have published the official class rules all competing teams must use to design their yachts for the the 36th America's Cup, promising regulations that will ensure fair racing while also leaving room for creative individuality.
Team New Zealand, along with Challenger of Record Luna Rossa, unveiled the AC75 Class Rule this morning which defines the parameters teams must work within to compete in Auckland in three years time.
"This marks a definite milestone and a turning point from developing the rule to developing the boat," Team NZ's design coordinator Dan Bernasconi said.
"We feel we have done a great job containing costs on certain aspects, while leaving the rule open enough for the America’s Cup to continue as the driving force of innovation and technology in sailing."
Highlights of the AC75 Class Rule include strict limitations on the number of components that can be built including hulls, masts, rudders, foils and sails - the idea being teams will be forced to use more simulations rather than less physical construction and testing.
Teams will also be supplied foil arms and rigging to save design time and construction costs.
"Overnight we have to completely change our thinking, from trying to write a fair rule, to doing our best to design the fastest boat within the constraints of the rule," Bernasconi said.
"We have to stop thinking about what we intended the rule to mean, and start trying to pick it apart for what the words actually say - and see where there might be room to squeeze some advantage."
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