We have had one day of racing with the AC35 catamarans on Auckland’s Harbour and the racing is due to resume on day two in a few hours.
It is hard to describe these craft as yachts, they are engineering marvels sitting on Titanium foils that make a deep rumbling sound as they roar through the water at speeds up to 50 knots or more.
Sir Russell Coutts, a yachtsman who needs little introduction to anyone vaguely familiar with the America’s Cup, was the mover behind this competition that is now becoming a sort of Formula One for yachtsmen and women.
The class is one design and all boats are identical. They are deliberately designed to be hard to sail. Coutts likened it to flying an airplane but with 4 pilots sharing 32 different controls and getting any out of syc and if your lucky the boat comes off the foils, unlucky and it’s “hands to bathe” and to be thankful of the crash helmet and protective gear.
The normal rules of yacht racing apply but with 12 boats sailing on a pretty small circuit the helmsmen need to be on their toes.
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