I've been following the development of Ellisons's new America's Cup racer - BOR90 (BMW Oracle Racing), a 90 x 90 foot trimaran. It's not officially an entrant yet, but it looks like the courts will pick it as the challenger of record to race against the 100 foot catamaran that is being designed and built by the existing cup holder racing out of a new Spanish yacht club. The video's and still photo's circulating around are fascinating, but I read something yesterday that just about blew my mind - it does 33 knots in 12 knots of wind !!!! It has yet to go out in heavier winds, but has broken 40 several times already. Top speed sort of depends on the courage of the crew - who must wear crash helmits and padded safety gear to sail it.
Notice the rather flat Pacific Ocean outside of San Diego - that can't be more than 10 or 12 knots of wind out there.
Sorry Tony - But I wonder if they would take a Telstar as an even trade after the race? Only problem is where do you keep it - it's 90 feet wide.
If you can afford the boat, you can afford a place to park it... However, I will say that trailering the BOR90 from NJ to FL is going to be a bit more difficult than moving the Telstar... not to mention getting the mast stepped. Besides, I’d be really impressed if you were able to single-hand that puppy.
We can dream, right? I'm just fascinated by the technology that one can build with an endless supply of money. Some of this stuff will eventually filter down to our level.
I'd love to take a good look at it one day - but knowing what's involved in cup racing that will probably be well after the races are over. Remember the covered keel area on Austrailia's first wing keel? Take a look at the curved boards that stick out of the top of the ama's about mid-beam - those have got to be foils that help raise the ama's and supply windward lift when they are slid down. The ama's also seem to have small rudders in back - which can also help lift and steer them. Anything that will nearly lift itself out of the water in light to medium air has got to have these kinds of things. I once sailed a Hobie Tri-Foiler when it first came out about 10 or 12 years ago. That boat had actual foils to lift it at maybe 10 knots of boat speed. This multi-million dollar experiment doesn't appear to need them - the boards are still up and it's nearly flying in maybe 10 or 12 knots of wind.
Ron,
If the picture wasn't real, I'd say you've been playing with Photoshop...I've seen other stills, but no video. Do you have any video links of this baby to share?
You can google "BOR 90" also - there are dozens of sites with video and stills. Sail Magazine has some good stories on the whole project - including the court battles with the current holder of the cup. Maybe the fastest lawyer should get it?
It's a shame that all of the recent America's Cup races wind up in court either before or after the race. They've got to initiate some real rules and enforce them. Remember when Connors showed up with a catamaran when the competiton was bringing a 100+ foot maxi? Neither boat was within the spirit of the competition but I admire Connors for realizing that there was no limitation on the number of hulls. The maxi, probably more "illegal" than the cat, got blown away. Connors, during an interview, said that they can't even sail BOR 90 in San Diego harbor. The boat is way too fast - it easily breaks all of the speed restrictions even when reefed.
But this boat is NICE. Just look at the lines. Looks like it's doing 40 tied up. Remember the line from Jaws - "We need a bigger boat!". The cameraman on one of the chasers said that while filming. Wait till they take it out in 25 knots of wind. They'll need a Cigaratte or Scarab to stay with it.
It is kind of tragic and ironic that they'll need a honking huge engine in the chase boat just to keep the BOR90 in sight... much less photograph and video range.
The great thing about Stars & Stripes and Dennis Conner is that they finally put the myth that a multihull can’t point and can’t sail upwind to bed. IIRC, the captain of the 120' monohull was complaining that he had to drag around 30 tons of ballast...and that it was slowing him down. Never mind that without the ballast, his boat would have been mast down and upside down... but that wasn’t his point. :
Hard to tell. Both wind speed and ocean swells were much higher than in BOR90's videos. What will this one do in 10 to 12 knots and what will BOR90 do in over 20?
"l'Hydroptere" is probably the fastest sail boat out now - it recently went 61 knots before it capsized. The records are still owned by kite boarders at about 51 knots, because the boat did not get through the measured course before it went over. Another fast boat went over at around 52 knots. Both are smaller than BOR90.
One major difference - these two boats are more like drag racers. They are timed over a 500 meter run. No marks, no tacking, no gybes - just maximum speed in a straight line over 500 meters.
However, I will say that trailering the BOR90 from NJ to FL is going to be a bit more difficult than moving the Telstar... not to mention getting the mast stepped. Besides, I’d be really impressed if you were able to single-hand that puppy. 