The team over at Cupinfo.com have done an awesome side-by-side photo comparison of SUI100 and NZL92. Well worth checking out…
As we have mentioned before, both Team New Zealand yachts seem to be incredibly slab sided, while the Alinghi design is noticably more rounded. Look closely at the SUI100 shots, the unusual bulge at the top of the keel, and also the connection of the shrouds to the deck could suggest they have done something innovative.
Only time will tell who has the better design philosophy for the conditions in Valencia.
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G’day Peter. Interesting photo line-up alright. Very noticeable how hard edged (almost a hard chine) the ETNZ boats are in comparison to Alinghi’s. Alinghi’s boats clearly carry more volume forward as well. They are much prettier boats (finer to the eye) than ETNZ’s I have to say. But does pretty equate to fast?
What interest me is the actual water length shape presented when NZL92 is slogging, hard over on her guts – presenting a section which is VERY veed. I reckon maybe that’s why she handles the swell/chop well. In that mode her entry is quite fine and sharp.
Have you noticed also in pre-start maneuvers, how NZL92 sits her bow up on the waters surface and almost slides across it – almost like in a planing motion? None of the other boast in the LVC could maneuver as effortlessly as she did, especially when back-winding her genoa.
Anyway, as you say, we are about to find out which design team has got it more right than the other. Cheers, David G.
Hey, Peter. Interesting comparing the different design philosophies with appendages as well. There is definitely something different around SUI100′s fin at the keel junction – some sort of boot sleeve looks like. Any thoughts on what this might be? Cheers, David G.
Hmmmm, speaking as someone that knows diddly squat about boat design, all I can say is…..shrug.
Maybe they felt by having a little extra material near the top of the fin, the extra drag would be offset by reduction in deflection? Seems a little far fetched tho.
Perhaps this was all just some smoke and mirrors and Alinghi removed the plasticine from the top of SUI-100′s keel fin after the unveiling?
Hehehe, just kidding. But seems like a really strange design feature.
Hey, It is quite interesting, thanks for the link. It is interesting that the top two boats of the LV were slab sided, and that Alinghi have gone a different way.
Those rounded blimps at the top of Alinghi’s keel do look interesting. I know that at the moment both boats have their keels uncovered, but is there another unveil day allowing people to get a good close up like there was in NZ before the America’s Cup?
Next Saturday night will be one filled with nerves…
Interesting photos. I don’t think the light shows how curved NZL 92 actually is on the bottom. Some of the other photos on cup info, and the TNZ web site show that although very slab sided NZL 92 is still quite rounded on the bottom sections, definately not flat like Luna Rossa.
I have to say, I quite like the look of TNZ’s boats, I like the upturned bow, and how the boat looks powered up going to windward. I don’t like the blunt nose on Alinghi’s boats, Yachts are suposed to be sharp at the front!!!!. I think Muscalzone Latino’s boats look similar to Alinghi’s from some of the photos I have seen.
I am still confident we have got the hardware to win this thing, and a week to go to find out just seems to damned long!!!!!!
Dunno if theres another unveiling Tom.
You would hope so, since Alinghi have had months to modify the boats from what they looked like in those photos.
Yep Daniel, 1 week is waaaay too long. BUT, its better than 2 weeks which is what it was straight after we beat LR.
If you to the america’s cup website, and go to the head to head feature (in list at the top right), and then once in it click on “the boats”(in the orange bar before the text starts), there is an interesting photo which does show how rounded the Alinghi boat is compared to the NZ boat, it does not say whether it is 84 or 92, and if it is 91 or 100, but it is intersting to see.