The America's Cup is Set to Shatter All Speed Limitations.
In the battle for the America's Cup, the oldest sailing trophy in existence, there's only one frontier left: physics. Whatever physics allows will be accomplished in the upcoming years during the multi-million-dollar tech race on the high seas. Before long, we might see yachts outpacing some cars.
At the America's Cup in Barcelona, the high-tech yachts are currently reaching speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour, but Grant Dalton, head of the defending champions from New Zealand, thinks the speed limits aren't even close to being reached. "Physics is the limit," he mentioned in an interview with the "FAZ".
"With the foils, which maintain contact with the water and prevent the boat from taking off unexpectedly, a maximum of 50 knots is possible at the moment. But if someone - within the constraints of physics - invents a new foil that radically alters the interaction between air pressure and water flow, why shouldn't a yacht be able to sail 70 or even 100 knots someday?" That would be almost 200 kilometers per hour.
The Finals Set Sail on October 12
In this high-tech competition, which can cost up to 100 million dollars for an America's Cup campaign involving 75,000 working hours, the teams are also drawing on knowledge from Formula 1. The sailors on board have to perform eight jobs. And according to Dalton, "it will become increasingly difficult for humans to maintain control".
Just off the coast of Barcelona, the challenger regattas to decide the opponents for the Emirates Team New Zealand are taking place. The race for the legendary "Auld Mug" commences on October 12. This race, which began off the British Isle of Wight in 1851, is being contested for the 37th time.
The French project Orient Express Racing Team has already been disqualified. The chance of facing the New Zealanders still remains with Ineos Britannia from the UK, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (Italy), Alinghi Red Bull Racing (Switzerland), and America Magic from the USA. "The performance curve of all teams is steeply rising, the level of the races has increased significantly recent," Dalton concluded. "For me, Luna Rossa from Italy and Ineos from the UK are the strongest so far. However, the gap to the Americans and the Swiss is minimal."
In this high-tech race for the America's Cup, teams are leveraging knowledge from Formula 1 to enhance their performance. Sports like Formula 1 and sailing share a common focus on pushing the boundaries of physics.
The competition between the remaining teams, including Ineos Britannia from the UK, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli from Italy, Alinghi Red Bull Racing from Switzerland, and America Magic from the USA, is intensifying due to their relentless pursuit of innovations in sports technology.
