trimaran usa 17

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World’s coolest yachts: USA 17

• May 24, 2021

We ask top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times. This month Thomas Coville nominates USA 17, the 2010 America's Cup winner

“I’d have loved to sail on the America’s Cup AC72 cats in San Francisco in 2013 , they were so invigorating. Those boats were when Larry Ellison just let free in the America’s Cup and pushed the limits. But perhaps even cooler was the big trimaran challenger, USA 17 [in 2010]. When you saw the size of the wing and the size of Jimmy Spithill steering the boat, and flying on one hull, I think it was totally amazing.

“We should give a medal to the generation who was on the America’s Cup in San Francisco for creating so many new ideas and new dynamics, but for me the first step of sailing by flying was when those guys arrived with a trimaran with wings. Today we are trying to recreate that kind of a step by foiling around the world.

Jimmy Spithill is dwarfed by USA 17 as he helms the trimaran to victory in the 2010 America’s Cup. Photo: Jose Jordan/AFP/Getty

“Jimmy Spithill is my favourite skipper ever – for me he is the skipper that defines an epoch. He’s going to try to fly around the planet on a Jules Verne Trophy one day, for sure.”

USA 17 stats rating:

Top speed: 40 knots LOA: 34m/113ft Launched: 2008 Berths: 0 Price: €10,000,000 Adrenalin factor: 95%

Thomas Coville

Thomas Coville is one of the world’s most successful ocean racing skippers. In 2016 he set a single-handed around the world record of 49 days , and has won the Volvo Ocean Race , Oryx Quest, Route du Rhum and Transat Jacques Vabre. This winter he skippers a Jules Verne attempt with the foiling trimaran Sodebo Ultim 3 .

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America's Cup - USA 17 trimaran back home

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America’s Cup: USA 17 Sails Again

Published on May 11th, 2014 by Editor -->

Following the 33rd America’s Cup, won by Golden Gate Yacht Club in 2010, there was hope to see their massive 90-foot wing-powered trimaran USA 17 sailing in San Francisco Bay. It would have made for an impressive sight, and created early interest in the 34th America’s Cup that would be held three years later. But due to its enormity and considerable risk under sail, the manpower was directed elsewhere, and USA 17 sat dormant on the blacktop of Pier 80 in the Dogpatch that became home to the American defender.

So what becomes of this America’s Cup winning marvel? She becomes a pond ornament.

Larry Ellison, owner of the defense syndicate, had USA 17 moved to the lake at his Oracle Corporate Headquarters in Redwood City. Affectionately known as Dogzilla, Erik Simonson describes the 20-mile transit….

The Dogzilla Relocation Project reached new heights Saturday, May 10 as an Erickson Skycrane lifted her out of the water and over the Oracle Buildings and placed her in Larry’s Pond. But things did not start out so smoothly, and there was a delay as Dogzilla put up a fight, digging her claws into the mud in the shallows of the Belmont Slough, holding up progress for nearly an hour. The tide finally rose enough to free her and the Skycrane worked it magic.

The Oracle security and local law enforcement did a notable job of keeping spectators in a safe area, and when the gigantic skycrane crested the buildings with precious cargo, ground rattling thunder and massive turbulence on the water, the distance was appreciated.

We expected a drop and go, but the skycrane along with waterborne craft took time to maneuver her onto the mounts that had been carefully placed in the pond to keep the hulls out of the water and give the appearance of her heeling to victory.

But the Dog still had some fight, and after 12-15 minutes of battling, with the giant skycrane rocking and rolling, tugging and pulling, almost as if she did not want to stay, Dogzilla was finally released to her new home.

A massive carbon fiber mast was soon lifted into place and the stays and shrouds reconnected. When all is said and done, the Oracle staff will have a new pond ornament to ponder.

With two obsolete AC72s now collecting dust at Pier 80, one wonders if the Big Dog will have pond mates in the near future!

Photos by Erik Simonson

Tags: America's Cup , Golden Gate Yacht Club , Larry Ellison , Oracle Team USA , USA 17

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America’s Cup winning trimaran USA 17 bound for San Francisco

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Written by Chelsea Smith

USA 17 trimaran has only ever competed twice, but she sailed the races of her life to dominate the Swiss defender, Alinghi, off Valencia, Spain, last year and win the 33rd America’s Cup.

America's Cup winning trimaran USA 17 bound for San Francisco - Photo Credit Oracle Racing

The extraordinary carbon-fiber machine is being loaded onto the freighter M.V. Star Isfjord this week for the long delivery trip to San Francisco via the Panama Canal. The freighter carrying both USA 17 and her extraordinary 223ft wingsail is scheduled to leave Valencia on January 29 or 30 for the 7,900-nautical-mile passage to the Bay Area.

The estimated arrival in San Francisco, dependent upon on-time loading, sea conditions en-route and transit time in the Panama Canal, is March 1.

The trimaran’s arrival will mark the first time that USA 17 visits the city that ORACLE Racing calls home. She was launched in Anacortes, WA, in August 2008, and after initial testing there moved to San Diego, CA, for a further period of training before being moved to Valencia for the 33rd Cup Match last February.

Measuring more than 100 feet long and 90 feet wide and powered by a 20-storey tall wingsail, USA 17 is the fastest yacht to ever win the America’s Cup. It has been in storage in Valencia since winning the Cup on Feb. 14, 2010.

With the ORACLE Racing team fully focused on laying the groundwork for its 34th America’s Cup campaign in 2013, the provisional plan is to continue to keep USA 17 in storage after unloading. An announcement about the vessel’s sailing plans will be made later this year.

“The handful of us privileged to sail on USA 17 would love to sail her again in an instant. I dare say all those who never had this chance would like to as well,” said ORACLE Racing skipper James Spithill.

“But the stark reality is that every aspect of the boat, every component, was built right to the limit so that for every hour’s sailing USA 17 required 20 hours of painstaking and rigorous maintenance. For the time being the team’s focus will be on the America’s Cup ahead.”

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America’s Cup: Trimaran USA 17 back home in San Francisco

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USA 17 display gets Mariner’s Museum into the…

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Usa 17 display gets mariner’s museum into the america’s cup spirit.

When trucks rolled into Newport News from San Francisco this winter, The Mariners’ Museum staff wasn’t completely convinced that the cargo would fit inside the space they had cleared for it. Or even if it could be maneuvered into the building.

But on a snowy move-in day, all went well. Today, USA 17 , the 72-foot-long, 46-foot-wide, double-hulled yacht – the flying catamaran that won the 2013 America’s Cup in one of the most exciting comebacks in sports history – is part of the museum’s permanent collection. The interactive exhibit that surrounds it offers a prime spot for watching Oracle Team USA defend its title in the 35th America’s Cup Match, scheduled to start in Bermuda on Saturday.

“What could be better than right under the hull that crossed the line 54 seconds ahead?” said Lyles Forbes, the museum’s chief curator.

Here, museumgoers can jump on a webbed tarp to get a feel of what it was like for the USA 17 crew when they made their way from hull to hull. Or they can stand on the platform of what looks like a piece of gym equipment, grab a set of rotating handles and get a feel for what it was like to be a “grinder” on the boat, the guys who endlessly crank the handles to create energy to power the yacht’s systems since only wind or human power is allowed. Or they can watch videos of past races or learn about aerodynamics and hydrodynamics in layman’s terms.

The boat was donated to the museum by Oracle Team USA. Its rigid sail, or wing, was more than 13 stories tall, about the size of a jumbo jetliner wing, and is not part of the “Speed and Innovation in the America’s Cup” exhibit. Instead, the sleek hulls of USA 17 skim opposite ends of the room’s ceiling.

“It’s almost sculptural in a way,” Forbes said, gazing upward. “It doesn’t even look like a boat.”

He climbed a ladder, then climbed inside one of the hulls. Then Forbes pointed downward to the foil, the curved apparatus that juts perpendicular from the hull. While racing, the boat seems to fly high above the water. It’s what racers call “foiling,” when the hulls lift off of the surface and sail on just the curved end of the foil.

“Imagine,” Forbes said. “Three tons of boat flying on a tiny surfboard.”

Competition predates modern Olympics

The America’s Cup competition predates the modern day Olympic Games, making it the oldest international competition. The first regatta in 1851 featured grand, multisailed yachts racing around Isle of Wight in the United Kingdom.

That year, the New York Yacht Club entered America in the race, a double-masted vessel with a radical new design and sailcloth. So much fanfare surrounded the race and the design of the yacht that it became “a symbol of the young nation’s daring,” according to Michael D’Antonio’s book, “A Full Cup.”

When she arrived in Britain captained by John Cox Stevens, son of a Revolutionary War officer, and a crew that included Alexander Hamilton’s son, America intimidated British yachtsmen so much that none would accept a one-on-one race.

Instead, according to D’Antonio, America easily beat a field of 14 challengers and took home the trophy, an ornate silver pitcher called the Auld Mug.

An America’s Cup hallmark is cutting-edge sailing technology, and Americans kept the trophy stateside until 1983, when the Australians and the Royal Perth Yacht Club broke the longest winning streak in sports history.

In the next cup race, held in 1987, the San Diego Yacht Club successfully challenged the Australians with Stars & Stripes , a race that inspired Jimmy Buffett’s hit song, “Take It Back.” Since then, the trophy has traveled twice to both New Zealand and Switzerland.

Then in 2010, Silicon Valley billionaire Larry Ellison financed a multimillion-dollar challenge, his third attempt at winning the cup, and brought the Auld Mug back home with a flourish. His Oracle Team USA crossed the finish line in an enormous, 90-foot-wide, tri-hulled boat 15 minutes ahead of the Swiss, the largest margin in the history of the cup.

Then came the 2013 match.

“The regatta that just wouldn’t end”

The America’s Cup Match is actually a series of races between just two boats. But getting to the finals is a lengthy and expensive process for challengers. The Defender, or cup holder, is guaranteed a spot in the final race. Challengers compete for points in a series of races in order to capture a spot in the America’s Cup final. In that regatta, the first team to win nine points, with one point per race, takes the trophy, although penalty and bonus points can complicate the equation.

In 2013, Emirates Team New Zealand, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, won the right to race Oracle Team USA in the finals.

It was “the regatta that just wouldn’t end,” said Jack Griffin, a “self-described complete junky for this America’s Cup stuff” and author of “Turning the Tide,” an account of Team USA’s dramatic comeback aboard the very yacht now hanging at The Mariners’ Museum.

The foiling catamarans electrified viewers who lined the banks of San Francisco Bay to watch the boats with the Golden Gate Bridge as a backdrop.

“Think 50 mph in a car,” Forbes said. “Now think about a 72-foot long vehicle at this same speed. … It’s like Formula 1 racing on the water.”

After seven days of racing, Team USA was down eight races to one. Every race after that was a match point for the challengers, and by constantly improving their boat and sailing strategies, they came back with eight straight wins to take the cup.

This year, the rules call for smaller 45- to 50-foot catamarans, in part to attract more challengers and in part to make the races more interesting and fast-paced for the growing television audience.

This year, Great Britain, New Zealand, Japan and Sweden are sailing in the semifinals. The foiling cats with big, soaring wings are back, and so is the drama.

The British boat suffered a broken wing in a semifinal race last week in Bermuda. Three members of the New Zealand crew were thrown into the water when their catamaran fell forward and capsized while foiling at the start of a race.

All are angling for that coveted spot in the final America’s Cup match where, the saying goes, “there is no second place.”

Lorraine Eaton, 757-446-2697, [email protected] Follow @staffepicure on Twitter.

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Jason and the Argonauts

• By Michael Hanson
• Updated: August 17, 2020

Moments after the start, the boatspeed jumps to 35 knots, and I am terrified. If I was driving, I’d be white-knuckled. The wind-whipped Caribbean Sea thrashes Argo ’s hulls, but Jason Carroll is cool at the tiller of his 70-foot trimaran. He leans back in his driving chair and squints through the visor of his crimson helmet at the turning mark ahead.

A few days earlier, one of Argo ’s new T-foil rudders snapped during the delivery from Antigua to St. Martin for the Caribbean Multihull Challenge regatta —a delivery of less than four hours despite the breakage. Carroll’s team spent the night swapping to Argo ’s older rudders, but combined with the boat’s newer and longer J-shaped foils, the boat isn’t set up correctly. “Things could get a bit sporty out there,” Carroll had warned me before we shoved off. “As long as the conditions aren’t too crazy, we should be fine.”

So much for that. With 30-knots blowing across the bows, we hurtle out of Simpson’s Bay, and I take a knee at the back of the cockpit and brace for dear life. I’ve seen the video of Argo ’s capsize before the 2019 Caribbean 600, so I’m stoked with my decision to extend my insurance coverage to include extreme watersports. Still, I’m having one of those what-have-I- gotten-myself-into moments—one hand gripping a GoPro, the other clenching the lifeline.

Carroll and company outmaneuver the other MOD70, Maserati, leaving them behind in trio of wakes. Ahead, Serge Durrant’s Irens 63, Shockwave, cruises along with a storm jib and three mainsail reefs. The Argonauts tucked only two reefs, and in a blink, the boat is careening past Shockwave . A gust fills the sails and the speedo jumps again—this time to 39 knots. The boat shudders as waves smack its underbelly; up ­forward, the bows begin to rise.

I’m having one of those what-have-I-gotten-myself-into moments—one hand gripping a GoPro, the other clenching the lifeline.

T-foil rudders would have ­prevented the bows from riding too high, but the big J-foils ­generate so much lift that water flowing over them begins to boil, causing cavitation. Argo ’s bows slam into a trough, and the front beam takes a direct hit. In a situation such as this, one of two things can happen, and the outcome depends on Carroll’s ability to make the correct split-second decision. Option A is to ride it out and hope the trimmers ease the sheets quick enough to depower the sails. If they fail to do so, the entire crew will soon be dogpiling through the companionway as the boat pitchpoles. Option B is for Carroll to make a sharp turn to try to spill power quickly.

The 42-year-old helmsman chooses wisely, pulling down the bows with authority. The foils regrip, and after this little pucker moment, Carroll guides the trimaran through a wide, arcing turn upwind around the mark. The Argonauts are safe for now, but challenges await.

“The boat is actually easy to steer when everything is set up right,” Carroll says. His relaxed and intellectual demeanor is a calming presence, contrary to the sheer madness of the trimaran. As a co-founder of Hudson River Trading, Carroll put his Harvard computer science degree to use developing high-frequency trading algorithms, and when he’s not flying across the ocean, he’s soaring across the sky as an enthusiast pilot. Yet the MOD70 is like nothing else he has experienced. “We’re hitting speeds we never imagined,” he says. “But nothing happens out here without having complete trust in the guys next to you, so it all comes down to the team.”

The Argo crew is a lean but talented squad. Such a boat demands experience. At its core is 48-year-old Chad Corning, who manages the operation. He’s been Carroll’s go-to guy since before they captured back-to-back Melges 32 World Championship titles in 2013 and 2014. When he first started sailing with Carroll, Argo was an all-­amateur team of college buddies. “The scope of the program was small,” Corning says. “Eventually, we started sailing internationally and doing distance racing on Jason’s Gunboat 62, Elvis. At one point, we even had three Melges 32s. It just became too much for Jason to organize on his own, so I stepped in.”

The two have been thick as thieves for years, and the team eventually transitioned into the GC32 foiling catamaran scene, a circuit that pitted Carroll, an amateur helmsman, against a few of the finest pro drivers in high-performance sailing. In 2018, they traded in the Gunboat for the MOD70 and started racking up victories with a combination of longtime Argo teammates and specialized offshore multihull sailors, including Brian Thompson, the first Englishman to break the round-the-world record twice. Thompson has also sailed nonstop around the world four times, won the Volvo Ocean Race, and broken 27 world sailing records.

“He’s the guy who knows when to push and when to back off,” Corning says. His primary role on Argo is to act as point man for the boat’s complex maneuvers.

“This is very much a close-knit team,” Thompson says. “Jason is one of the best drivers out there. The guys know the boat really well, and they work hard maintaining everything to minimize breakdowns. Chad has done a remarkable job developing the boat and the team, and it’s good fun off the water as well.”

On the long beat toward the rounding point off Tintamarre Island on the northeast side of St. Martin, Thompson marshals the troops as the breeze spikes to 32 knots. With confused 6-foot swells, Argo smashes its way uphill at 21 knots. “I’d love a wider groove to get through these waves,” shouts mainsail trimmer, Anthony Kotoun. A five-time world champion in multiple classes, Kotoun is a longtime member of the Argo crew. He and Thompson chat for a moment and agree that a lower mode would be ideal.

“Let me check the course with Artie to make sure we have enough water to make that happen,” Kotoun shouts back to Thompson. While most pro race teams are known for their lack of shouting, with more than 50 knots of apparent wind funneling across the deck, communicating on this machine is like rolling down your window on the highway and trying to have a conversation with someone in the passing lane. “Communication is especially important because things don’t happen on demand,” Kotoun explains later. “The boat is so ­complicated with the foils, the canting mast, the rake and the centerboard that something as simple as a mode change can take minutes to achieve. You can’t just sheet out. It’s completely different than most things out there.”

Kotoun staggers to the ­middle of the boat and pokes his head beneath the splash hood, where navigator Artie Means plots a course. Means has the most protected position on Argo , and he’s still soaked head to toe. His eyes are glued to his tablet.

“We can spare a few degrees, but not much,” Means says. “Luckily, we overstood a bit.”

Means and Kotoun take a moment to review the course, and eventually Kotoun makes his way back to the weather hull to relay the information to Thompson, who recalibrates the boat’s upwind mode by raising the centerboard up a bit, adding more foil rake, and moving the transverse jib-lead outboard. These changes allow the boat to sail lower without becoming overpowered. With a mainsheet load of 7 tons, the lines throb as they ease through their systems.

From beneath the spray hood, Means shoots me an ecstatic look as he nerds out over the instrument panels, which in true Argo fashion, have a dancing hula girl mounted above. “We’re going faster upwind than a TP52 would be going downwind today,” he says. “Hey Fouche, check this out!”

Headsail trimmer Thierry Fouchier pops his head beneath the spray hood. Fouchier is another international multihull legend. Originally from Marseille, France, Fouchier won the 34th America’s Cup aboard Larry Ellison’s big trimaran USA 17 before joining Artemis Racing in 2013 and Groupama Team France in 2017. Looking at the data, he gives Means a twisted smile. “ C’est fou ,”—That’s crazy—he says, returning to his jib-sheet winch.

Communication is especially important because things don’t happen on demand.

Thompson soon relieves Carroll at the helm as Argo pitches in the waves. “Be ready for a gennaker around Tintamarre,” Thompson shouts.

My God , I think to myself as water jets through the trampoline and the boat bucks me skyward off the netting, we still have to go downwind.

Even though the ­maneuver is 15 minutes away and the rounding point is over the horizon, the crew preps for the downwind leg. The biggest battle is hoisting the gennaker with the equivalent of tropical-storm-force winds blowing across the bow. Argo ’s slender 31-year-old ­bowman, Westy Barlow, sprints forward and secures the tack while the grinders hoist the furled gennaker to the top of the mast. With Carroll back on the helm, Thompson reminds the trimmers to make sure the main is well-eased and the jib sheet stays on in order to keep the boat under control through the bear away. Once Argo reaches the right downwind angle, the crew explodes into action: deploying the gennaker, raising the centerboard, trimming the main- sheet, changing to the J2 headsail, reducing the mast cant, increasing the mast rotation and adjusting the traveler. When everything is set, Argo romps downwind at 30 knots.

As we enter the Anguilla Channel, Shockwave is nowhere in sight and Maserati is still within striking distance. “Try not to go over 30 knots,” Thompson advises Carroll. “Anything more than that, and we might trip over ourselves.”

As Argo zips down the ­channel, trimmer and grinder Scott Norris taps me on the shoulder and asks, “Hey, can you go below and grab the big water jug and fill up the bottles?”

Norris is a big man with a big personality—one of the longest-tenured Argonauts on the crew.

“Where is it?” I ask.

“Thataway,” he says, pointing downward and aft.

Going below on a search ­mission is hardly what I want to be doing right now, but I scale the ladder into Argo ’s center hull. Forward, the nav station is empty. Beyond that, a pair of berths hang in the dark. As Argo cleaves through the waves, sounds of unimaginable horror pound from wall to carbon wall like drums between warring villages. I crawl toward the stern, glancing out the porthole at our starboard hull, which hangs 15 feet above the waves. I snag the water jug and make it back topside, where Norris smiles down at me.

“Pretty gnarly down there, huh?” he asks as I reemerge. “Don’t worry, the first time we took this thing out, we were terrified. And today…terrified.”

“It’s going to be about a 100-degree reach after the turning mark,” Means shouts out to the crew. With Maserati shrinking on the horizon, Thompson decides to play this leg conservatively. “All right, it’s going to be the J3 and three reefs on the main,” he howls through the wind. This is the least amount of sail area Argo can carry, and when conditions are right, the reduced drag and lower center of gravity produce the highest speeds a MOD70 is capable of, but as they reconfigure the sail setup and round the mark to a reach, Argo is starved for power.

“The first time we took this thing out, we were terrified. And today…terrified.”

“Really searching for it,” Carroll says, emitting one of those are-we-seriously-going-this-slow looks. After a few minutes of letting the conditions settle, they shake out the third reef, and one of the stainless-steel T-bone shackles on the mainsail luff lashes Barlow just below the eye. He drops to the net, his legs ­wriggling in pain.

“Hold, hold, hold. Man down!”

Before the race, Barlow joked that “nobody cares about the bowman,” but watching his teammates jump to his aid, that sentiment is obviously false. He took a hard hit, but there’s no bleeding or signs of a concussion. He even tries to hop back on the ­grinding pedestal, prompting a stern word from Thompson to sit in the companionway and ice his eye, which begins to swell shut.

By the time the excitement wanes, Maserati has halved its deficit. Even though it was a blip on the radar mere minutes ago, in MOD70 racing, you can’t take your foot off the gas for a moment. Slow is slow. The crew shakes a reef, and after one final upwind leg, they cross the finish line first. There’s no time for handshakes or back slapping, though. The shoreline is fast approaching, so they tack and sail back out to sea. The race might be over, but the hard work is not.

“Hey, Helmet, hop on that pedestal and help me with the traveler,” Kotoun says.

Helmet is the ­nickname for English sailor Alister Richardson. A veteran of Carroll’s GC32 squad, Richardson is a former wing trimmer for America’s Cup challenger Luna Rossa, but he says he gets much more ­fulfillment from his Argo gig.

“I spent six years of my life doing the America’s Cup,” he tells me after racing. “Doing that is like joining the Army. It’s fine if you choose that lifestyle, but I enjoy sailing with Argo because I have good fun with these guys. We’re always pushing for performance, but at the end of the day, we’re having the time of our lives. Everyone can get a joke out of each other, which is important.”

That evening, the crew enjoys a private dinner at their rented condo in Port de Plaisance on the Dutch side of St. Martin. They debrief the day and pour a bit of rum, eventually gathering around a table for a late-night card game of President.

“We’re limited in what we can play because Jason will count the cards,” Corning says.

“Anything it takes to win,” Carroll replies mischievously.

Anything it takes—that’s the Argo way. Race hard, never give up, and have fun, no ­matter what.

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BMW Oracle Racing : P ress Release America's Cup Trimaran Coming Home

The giant trimaran that won the 33rd America’s Cup for Larry Ellison’s Oracle Racing team is heading home to San Francisco. 

USA 17 has only ever competed twice, but she sailed the races of her life to dominate the Swiss defender, Alinghi, off Valencia, Spain, last year and win the 33rd America’s Cup.

The extraordinary carbon-fiber machine is being loaded onto the freighter M.V. Star Isfjord this week for the long delivery trip to San Francisco via the Panama Canal.  The freighter carrying both USA 17 and her extraordinary 223-ft wingsail is scheduled to leave Valencia on January 29 or 30 for the 7,900-nautical-mile passage to the Bay Area.

The estimated arrival in San Francisco, dependent upon on-time loading, sea conditions en-route and transit time in the Panama Canal, is March 1.

The trimaran’s arrival will mark the first time that USA 17 visits the city that Oracle Racing calls home.  She was launched in Anacortes, WA, in August 2008, and after initial testing there moved to San Diego, CA, for a further period of training before being moved to Valencia for the 33rd Cup Match last February.

Measuring more than 100 feet long and 90 feet wide and powered by a 20-storey tall wingsail, USA 17 is the fastest yacht to ever win the America’s Cup.  It has been in storage in Valencia since winning the Cup on Feb. 14, 2010.

With the Oracle Racing team fully focused on laying the groundwork for its 34th America’s Cup campaign in 2013, the provisional plan is to continue to keep USA 17 in storage after unloading.  An announcement about the vessel’s sailing plans will be made later this year.

“The handful of us privileged to sail on USA 17 would love to sail her again in an instant.  I dare say all those who never had this chance would like to as well,” said Oracle Racing skipper James Spithill.

“But the stark reality is that every aspect of the boat, every component, was built right to the limit so that for every hour’s sailing USA 17 required 20 hours of painstaking and rigorous maintenance.  For the time being the team’s focus will be on the America’s Cup ahead.”  

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The Complete List of Trimarans

There is no single trimaran that is best for everyone. Where some prefer luxury cruisers for long trips with family and friends, others might opt for a high performance racing tri for thrilling rides at breakneck speeds. With the recent spike in trimaran popularity, these days there is a perfect tri for every sailor. So to help prospective trimaran owners decide which boat is just right for them, we here at WindRider have put together a comprehensive list of the best trimarans on the market today! Read through for simple at-a-glance trimaran comparisons of boats both big and small, exhilarating and relaxing, and for all price points.

Jump to a specific sailing trimaran: Neel Weta Corsair WindRider Dragonfly Catri Astus Hobie Sea Pearl Farrier Sea Cart Multi 23 Triak SeaRail Warren Lightcraft Diam Radikal Challenger

Known for their award-winning luxury trimarans,   NEEL   is based in La Rochelle, the capital city of sailing in France. NEEL trimarans are built for fast cruising with an average cruising speed of about 10 knots, and are even configured to facilitate that sustained speed under motor propulsion. The NEEL 45 was notably named Cruising World’s Most Innovative Vessel in 2013, and by all accounts is an easy-to-sail, high performance boat that is just plain fun.

At a glance:

Models: NEEL 45, 65

Length: 45’ – 65’

Cost:   $$$$$

Use: Luxury cruiser

A fan favorite,   Weta trimarans   are fast, stable, and remarkably easy to rig. This single-sailor tri has a capacity of up to three, and the ease with which it can be transported and stored makes this a great, versatile boat for beginners. The Weta was named Sailing World’s 2010 Boat of the Year, and one ride is enough to know why: simply put, the Weta is an absolute ton of fun to sail regardless of skill level.

Models: Weta

Length: 14’5”

Cost:   $$ $$$

The high-end   Corsair trimaran   definitely holds its own in the categories of versatility, performance, and convenience. Boasting a rigging time of 30 minutes from trailer to sailor ,   the Corsair 42 – whose convenient folding amas makes trailering possible – is a simple option even for single sailors, though cabin space is suitable for two adults. These boats are wicked fast, capable of reaching speeds of 20+ knots, and were made for skilled sailors seeking solid construction and high performance vessels, not for beginners.

Models: Pulse 600, Sprint 750 MKII, Dash 750 MKII, Corsair 28, Cruze 970, Corsair 37, Corsair 42

Length: 19’8” – 37’

Cost:   $$$$ $

Use: Sports cruisers

Built for the sailor who wants to maximize the joys of sailing while minimizing any hassle, WindRider trimarans are notoriously fast, very safe, and a blast to sail from start to finish. With several models that can hold between 1 and 6 riders, including adaptive designs to allow participation from sailors of all levels of mobility, there’s something to suit every sailor’s needs. The WindRider 17, an exhilarating ride perfect for families or camper sailors, has been known to reach speeds of up to 20mph. This easy day sailor goes from trailer to sailing in under 30 minutes and is sure to fit in perfectly with whatever adventures you have planned.

Models: WR 16, 17, Tango, Rave V

Length: 10’11” – 18’3”

Cost:   $ $$$$

Use: Day sailor

The Danish-built   Dragonfly   trimarans come in a variety of models ranging from 25’ – 35’, all known for their spry performance, comfortable ride, and ease of use. Every model comes equipped with the unique “SwingWing” feature, a motorized system that can unfold the amas even while the boat is already underway – making it accessible to marinas and slips, and even makes trailering possible. Perfect for those who don’t want to sacrifice their comfort for high performance, the Dragonfly can breeze along at 13 knots while remaining one of the quietest compact cruisers out there.

Models: Dragonfly 25, 28, 32, 35, 1200

Length: 25’ – 39’

Designed for both safe cruising as well as for high speed racing,   Catri trimarans   will make your day. Especially noteworthy is the Catri 25, a stable yet wildly fast foiling trimaran with accommodations for up to 6 people. With profiles optimized for speeds of 25+ knots when foiling, this is no beginner’s sailboat. The special attention paid to stability in the foil design allows the Catri to be a single sailor vessel, even at foiling speed, with no special physical abilities. Whether you’re taking a small crew for longer rides at shuddering speeds or bringing the whole family along for a shorter, but still thrilling sail, the Catri is truly one of a kind.

Models: Catri 25

Length: 25’

Use: Cruiser/racer

A popular brand of trimaran in Europe,   Astus   has recently made its way to the US market to the delight of sailors on this side of the pond. Designed to offer maximum pleasure with minimum hassle, all models of Astus trimarans are fast to set up, quick on the water, inherently stable, and always a joy to sail. Their outriggers are mounted on telescopic tubes for easy stowage and towing, and can even be extended and retracted on the water for access to narrow passageways and monohull slips in marinas. With models in all sizes and price points, Astus trimarans are a great option for any sailor.

Models: Astus 16.5, 18.2, 20.2, 22, 24

Cabin: Some models

Length: 16’ – 24’

Use: Sport cruisers

HOBIE ADVENTURE ISLAND

Great for beginners and adventurers alike, the   Hobie Mirage Adventure Island   series is nothing if not just plain fun. With the option to use as a kayak or as a very basic trimaran, the Hobie is transportable, versatile, unintimidating, lightweight, and wonderfully affordable. The pedal system known as “Mirage Drive” allows a person to pedal the kayak using their legs for an extra kick of movement in slow winds. Amas tuck close to the main hull for docking or car-topping, adding serious ease and convenience to the exhilarating experience of the Hobie.

Models: Hobie Mirage Adventure Island, Mirage Tandem Island

Length: 16’7” – 18’6”

Use: Convertible kayak/trimarans

Best known for its use in camp cruising excursions, the   Sea Pearl   offers a roomy main hull and particular ability to sail in very shallow waters, making beaching and launching a breeze. The lightweight Sea Pearl trimaran is easy to tow, and the larger-than-expected cabin opens this vessel up for overnight adventures with plenty of storage space. The simple design makes the Sea Pearl notoriously low maintenance, and the ease it takes to rig and sail it add to the overall delight of owning this boat.

Models: Sea Pearl

Length: 21’

Use: Camper cruiser

Quick, lightweight, roomy, and trailerable,   Farrier trimarans   are made for versatility to fit every sailor’s needs. Different Farrier models are available in plan or kit boat form for those who appreciate building their boat themselves, but of course, also as the full production sail-away boat for the rest of us. Single-handed rigging and launching takes under 10 minutes from start to finish, minimizing hassle and getting you on the water fast. All non-racing Farrier designs use a minimum wind capsize speed of 30 knots or more to ensure safety for all those aboard. Add the roomy cabin and high speed capabilities to the equation and you’ve got a boat that is great fun for everyone.

Models:   F-22, 24, 25, 82, 27, 28, 31, 9A, 9AX, 9R, 32, 33, 33R, 33ST, 36, 39, 41, 44R

Length: 23’ – 39’4”

Cost:   $$$ $$

Use: Sport cruisers/racers

One of the biggest names in the game,   SeaCart   is internationally noted for its high performance trimarans that far exceed expectations for a production boat of its size. The SeaCart trimaran performs as brilliantly off the water as it does on with its super-light and efficient harbor folding system, making light work of trailering. Notoriously easy to manage and maintain, the SeaCart 26 One Design is the ultimate day racing trimaran, designed for both course and inshore/coastal distance racing. Absolutely worth the international buzz it has garnered, the SeaCart is a thrill from beginning to end.

Models:   SeaCart 26

Length: 26’

A high performance racer class, the   Multi 23   is a lightweight, powerful trimaran known for its wicked speed of up to 25 knots. Multi trimarans of both available configurations were designed to give beach cat thrills and speed without any of the stability or seaworthy concerns. Open ocean sailing is no issue for the Multi’s big bows, which do their job to keep her stable. Built for sailors with a need for speed, the Multi makes a perfect weekend boat for racers, especially those with a taste for boat camping.

Models:   Multi 23

Length: 23’

Another dual outrigger sailing kayak/canoe design,   the Triak trimaran   was designed to be effortless and fun, especially for beginners. Paddle the kayak with sails furled, use the foot pedals for an extra kick of momentum, or sail with just the mainsail – the only boat in its class to feature an asymmetrical spinnaker – for exhilarating speeds and a blast on the water. Car-top the Triak anywhere for a quick sail or plan for a week long expedition, but always count on having a great time on this easy little boat.

Models:   Triak

Length: 18’

Use: Convertible kayak/trimaran

SeaRail trimarans   are known for being affordable, light weight, trailerable trimarans that offer the perfect combination of exciting and relaxing experiences to a wide range of sailors. Whether it’s day sailing with your family, resort or camper sailing, SeaRail trimarans are ideal leisure vessels. Leave the hassle to the other boats – the SeaRail takes you from trailer to sailor in 15 minutes. But don’t let its reputation as a leisure tri fool you: if speed is what you want, rest assured that the SeaRail can deliver that as well.

Models:   SeaRail 19

WARREN LIGHTCRAFT

Warren Lightcraft trimarans , another example of a convertible kayak-to-sailboat option, are known for their aesthetically pleasing designs that are also, as the name implies, very light for simple transportation and ease of use. Convert the kayak into a fast, high performance sailboat in just minutes, fly around on the waves all day long, then simply car-top the 68lb Warren for a maximum enjoyment, low-hassle day on the water. Perfect for sailors and paddlers of all skill levels, the Warren Lightcraft is the best of both worlds and an absolute joy to sail.

Models:   Warren Lightcraft

Length: 15’6”

Built strictly with racing in mind,   the Diam 24   is a light, powerful one-design class trimaran and a notoriously exceptional performer. Boasting blistering speeds of up to 30 knots, Diam trimarans are not intended for beginners. For racers who crave the very best in terms of intense speeds, smooth handling and impeccable performance, the Diam is the red-hot one-design racing tri for you.

Models:   Diam 24

Length: 24’

For the sailor who prefers the finer things in life, the   Radikal 26   delivers. Perfect for bringing the whole family out for a day on the water, this high performance, trailerable sailing trimaran strikes the most luxurious balance between quicksilver speeds and a smooth, comfortable ride. The Radikal 26 trimaran is as convenient to transport and set up as it is pleasant to sail, with a folding system that minimizes rigging hassle and also makes this a trailerable tri. Built for a fast and comfortable sail rather than a hold-onto-your-seats thrill, one-the-water safety and overall pleasure makes the Radikal 26 what it is.

Models:   Radikal 26

Use: Sport cruiser

A solidly-built, single-handed trimaran, the Challenger also doubles as an adaptive design – meaning it is made to accommodate sailors of all levels of physical mobility. Best suited to lakes, the Challenger is a very safe, seaworthy boat for sailors of all ages and experience levels. Add to this the ease of owning, transporting and maintaining the Challenger trimaran and what you get is a simple, fun sailboat perfect both for beginners and those seeking a cheap thrill alike.

Models:   Challenger

At a glance comparison:

Did we miss one? Let us know. Tell us what you sail and what you like about each boat in the comments below.

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WR17 Trimaran Sailboat

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The premier WindRider Trimaran is the most fun you’ll have on the water.

Down by the bay or out on the ocean, a WindRider 17 is your first-class ticket to fast and easy sailing. Enthusiasts of all ages and capabilities can rig and launch it. The mast weighs just 35 lbs for easy lifting, or can be raised with our exclusive pulley system (purchased separately). No more excuses… just get everyone together and get out there!

• Stable, comfortable ride holds up to 2 people in the cockpit and up to 3 on the trampolines
• Convenient storage anywhere: outside, moored, or on a beach or a trailer
• Nearly impossible to capsize

Purchase includes everything you need to sail:

• Seats and cushions
• Rotating mast and main sail
• Roller furling jib sail
• Built-in, hand-operated bilge pump
• 2 trampolines (one for each side of the main hull)
• All necessary rigging
• Hardware and control lines

The WindRider 17 gives you these standard WindRider features:

• Sporty styling that turns heads
• Hands-free, foot pedal steering
• Near-indestructibility

The most common accessories purchased with the WindRider 17 Trimaran are the trailer and motor mount. Additional recommended options include the reacher kit, windshield, mid-boom sheeting, center foot steering, lazy jack, and center-hand steering.

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6 Best Trailerable Trimarans For Bluewater and Coastal Sailing

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Having a boat costs a lot of money, even when you are not using it, marina fees, etc. And once it is in the water most sailors never go very far from their “home marina” and sailing will be somewhat restricted. However, what if you could fold your trimaran and put it on a trailer, store it at your house, and go to a new sailing spot the next time?

Here are 6 of the best trailerable trimaran:

• The Dragonfly series
• Corsair Series
• Windrider 17

Choosing the best trailerable trimaran (a multi-hull with three “hulls”) will depend on crucial factors like speed, durability, design, and ease of transportation. This article is here to help you get started with your research and hopefully help you on the way towards your dream boat!

Table of Contents

Cruising Trimarans That Can Be Transported

Cruising boats are made for multiday sailing either on the coast of your favorite sailing area or full-out blue-water ocean crossings. Extended living should be a priority in these designs.

1. The Dragonfly 25 and 28 (Dragon Fly Series)

Dragonfly is in the business of making the “best foldable trimarans on the planet” many would agree with this statement. Dragonfly is known for its commitment to easy trailering and ease of use, shown in designs for the Dragonfly 25 and Dragonfly 28.

The “Swing Wing” system on the linchpins is one of the key features of the dragonfly series. The system’s application makes it possible for the trimaran to narrow its beam as much as 50%.

Attesting to its Scandinavian manufacturing, most parts of the trimaran are made in-house. This guarantees quality and ensures that all used parts are above standard.

You don’t need to look further than the Dragonfly 25. Its centerboard slightly offset to port. Extra space is created in the main hull’s interior with a trunk buried under a settee. Performance-wise, the low drag and narrow hull shape allow the boat to reach blistering speeds.

Dragonfly 28 In Numbers

• Length: 8.75m
• Beam folded: 2.54m
• Max crew: 5-7 people
• Max Speed: 22+knots

Dragonfly 25 In Numbers

• Length: 7.65m
• Beam folded: 2.30m
• Max crew: 4-6 people
• Max Speed: 21+knots

2. Farrier F-22

New Zealand enters the trimaran manufacturing race with this premium sea goer. The vessel comes in two different versions: a performance variation with more horsepower and a full cabin cruising version. 

Compared to the dragon series the F-22 has the biggest allowance for space.

The F-22 is known for being one of the easiest trimarans to fold and load.

The sports version of the F-22 has some really good performance to offer. It has an aggressive spirit: you can mount a sail while leaving plenty of space for the boat’s fine entry and flared forward sections. The build quality is also topnotch—a lasting memorial to a principle that Ian Farrier always worked by: excellence.

Farrier F-22 In Numbers

• Length: 7.0m
• Beam folded: 2.5m
• Max crew: 3-5 people
• Max Speed: 20+knots

3. Corsair Series

This boat series has an exciting history. Farrier created it to promote his trailerable tri concept. However, the series is now independent with a top-class vehicle to its name.

The Corsair 760 is listed as providing some of the best performance and safety benefits to sailors.

Building off the spirit of excellence of the founder, the Corsair 760 has created a boat with comfort and racing potential. The boat can be tricky to handle at first, but it will be a breeze once you get the hang of it.

It is also worth noting that the corsair 37 is the largest trailerable trimaran on the market today.

Daysail Trimarans That Can Be Transported

Boats that are made for dayssailing are usually smaller, cheaper and more easily handled. They are perfect for those looking to enjoy a full day on the water in calm weather, but are usually less suitable for multiday events or rough sea sailing.

4. The Astus Models (20ft, 22.5ft, and 24ft)

If you’re looking for something small but still capable of doing day sailing, this 22.5-foot trimaran is for you. Built for speed and maneuverability, the Astus 22.5 has optional foils to optimize speed.

The modern design, coupled with the spacious interior, can fit up to four beds. Accordingly, this trimaran is suited for family outings. 

The Astus brand specializes in transportable trimarans, worth noting is that some models need a specific trailer whilst the smaller boats use a standard trailer.

5. Weta 14.5

The 2019 Weta trimaran is a 14.5-foot (4.4-meter) trimaran featuring a carbon frame, centerboard, rudder foil, and rudder shock. The hull is made from fiberglass and foam. The Weta is built for strength and speed based on these lightweight materials. 

The 2019 Weta trimaran is easy to sail and is worth considering whether you want to take a quiet sail, race with your friends, or take kids to a sailing lesson. It has a simple design and is easy to set up independently.

The small size makes it more suitable for daysailing in good weather rather than multiday cruising, although more experienced sailors will of course push the limits of this boat.

6. WindRider 17

The 17.4-foot (5.3-meter) WindRider 17 is one of the more versatile trimarans in the market. It packs high performance for a low cost. This trimaran has a light rotating mast to boost performance, and a full-battened mainsail optimizes visibility. 

This sailboat is made from rotomolded polyethylene, which is more durable than fiberglass and demands less maintenance.

The WindRider 17 has a comfortable interior and can fit six adults. This is an ideal choice for social sailing for a couple or a family and friends. It’s easy to ride, and a shallow draft allows easy maneuverability. 

What’s the Largest Trailerable Trimaran?

The largest trailerable trimaran is the Corsair 37 , this multihull is built for single-handed cruising while still maintaining the ability to comfortably seat 6 people.

The Corsair 37 provides comfort, speed, and safety. It also contains just enough space to accommodate amenities like a propane stove, a sink, and other equipment.

The vessel is designed to be a performance cruiser. It features an aluminum rotating wing mast, carbon fiber bowsprit, and premium deck hardware. The corsair can still cut through the water with ease despite its size, putting the wind in your sails.

What Is a Catamaran?

A catamaran is a boat with two hulls (a trimaran has three) connected by a bridge deck. Catamarans usually offer more space than both monohulls and trimarans of the same length. The catamaran is usually somewhat slower than a trimaran but faster than a monohull. They are usually made of fiberglass or carbon fiber.

Catamarans come in all shapes and sizes. You can find straightforward sailing catamarans, perfect for those who are only starting their sailing journey. Larger sailing catamarans have become extremely popular for long-distance sailing.

There are also power catamarans, they have huge diesel-powered engines (sometimes electric) and no sails. Also called “power cats”, these boats can reach 30+kts.

Can a Trimaran Be Trailerable?

As discussed above, some trimarans are possible to put on a trailer and move to another sailing area or to be stored at home. This is usually not possible with catamarans but is sometimes possible with the trimarans that are fitted with foldable amas (the two outer “floats” or “hulls”).

Some trimarans can be trailerable, this is mainly due to the ability to drastically decrease the vessels beam, sometimes as much as 50%. This allows the trailer plus trimaran to be below the legal requirements of the road.

Final Thoughts

It has proven difficult to beat the trimaran in terms of speed. Through the ages, this type of vessel has proven to be immensely enjoyable in all kinds of sailing activities. These can range from sea adventures to waterborne relaxation in your free time.

Trimarans come in various types, foldable, for cruising or racing, etc. However, there is a common factor: many of the small ones are trailerable. This makes them easier to move than most other types of boats.

Owner of CatamaranFreedom.com. A minimalist that has lived in a caravan in Sweden, 35ft Monohull in the Bahamas, and right now in his self-built Van. He just started the next adventure, to circumnavigate the world on a Catamaran!

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Komorebi 282

Komorebi is a Japanese word which describes how sunlight filters through the leaves of a tree. It has given rise to the architectural concept of incorporating natural light into design. VPLP has taken this idea as the basis for an ambitious project to develop a huge yet graceful trimaran which does indeed give priority to natural light . Patios and open deck spaces encourage natural airflow through the vessel’s three levels, each space having been designed for a particular moment of the day so that passengers can live in harmony with the natural world.

Komorebi ’s hybrid propulsion (engines and two-panel hard wingsails) takes direct inspiration from the work VPLP accomplished during the BMW Oracle challenge on the trimaran USA 17 . After USA 17 ’s win in the 2010 America’s Cup, Marc Van Peteghem had the idea of adapting hard wingsails to large cruising boats, by making them stowable, and hopes that similar technology will one day be scaled up to power cargo vessels . The goal was to develop greater power and reduce fuel consumption (by 30% in hybrid mode). Neither completely a sailing boat nor a pure motor boat, this “concept boat” is available in three sizes (up to 264’) and three versions: luxury cruising, exploration and deep-sea works.

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Nominees > Contributor , Sailing

Living , Modern

Larry’s Ellison’s passion for sailing has led to technological advances and innovations in sailing that have trickled down for the rest of the sport.

Beyond winning five Maxi World Championships on his 78-foot yacht, Sayonara , and winning the America’s Cup twice (2010, 2013), Larry has contributed to the development of sailing at the highest levels by creating pathways for younger sailors coming up through the sport. Beginning with the inclusion of the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup in San Francisco, to developing SailGP and the F50 as a new niche of the sport, he has had a profound impact on the sport of sailing in the United States.

“I was passionate about sailing and the idea of sailing … the idyllic independence … traveling with the wind.” – Larry Ellison

Accomplishments and Honors • In the 1990’s, on 78-foot Sayonara , won 5 Maxi World Championships • Oracle Team USA: following success racing Maxi yachts, Ellison founded BMW Oracle Racing to compete for the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup. The BMW Oracle/Oracle USA team has owned several boats, including:

• USA 71 trial boat for the 2003 America’s Cup.
• USA 76 race boat for the 2003 America’s Cup.
• USA 87 used in preparations for the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup.
• USA 98 raced in the Louis Vuitton Cup 2007 campaign.
• USA 17, trimaran. Sailing with a rigid wing sail, she won the 2010 America’s Cup, in a Deed of Gift match against SNG/Alinghi Valencia.
• USA17, an AC72 catamaran for the 2013 America’s Cup defense. Extensively damaged in an October 2012 capsize. Successfully defended in the 2013 America’s Cup.
• 17AC50 wing sail catamaran. Unsuccessfully defended the 2017 America’s Cup.
• In 2002, Ellison’s Oracle team introduced kite yachting into the America’s Cup environment. Kite sail flying lasting about 30 minutes was achieved during testing in New Zealand.
• In 2019, Ellison, in conjunction with Russel Coutts, started the SailGP international racing series. The series used F50 foiling catamarans, the fastest class of boat in history with regattas held across the globe. Ellison committed to five years of funding to support the series until it could become self-sustaining. The first season was successful with global audiences of over 1.8 billion.

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Oracle Team USA

The Challenge When the Oracle Team USA sailing team decided to move their revolutionary 2010 America’s Cup winning trimaran to a landlocked lake outside Oracle’s corporate complex, they knew it would require a difficult skycrane lift. At 120 feet long by 90 feet wide, the boat would provide numerous challenges during the lift. A 3-point lift was determined to be the best method to keep the boat stable and secure while in flight, and allow it to be carefully lowered into its new permanent display location in between tall office buildings.

The Solution Cortland was called for their expertise in challenging lifts, and for their relationship with Oracle Team USA. To safely execute, engineered high performance synthetic slings would be needed. Cortland recommended, and delivered, three (3) 20mm Plasma® Lifting Slings with soft eyes on each end, approx. 50m in length each. They were used to execute a 3-point lift and helicopter transfer of the boat from the wetlands outside of Foster City to its new home outside of Oracle headquarters.

The Project Team USA is a two-time America’s Cup winning professional sailing team that has revolutionized the sport with their high-speed boat designs. The boat lifted – using Cortland’s 3-point Plasma® sling solution -was their 2010 winning entry called USA-17. It had been stored in a San Francisco Bay warehouse since its successful return from Valencia, Spain, where the regatta took place. At the time of the event, USA-17 was the first of a new generation of giant racing multihull sailboats created by Oracle Team USA in association with BMW for the America’s Cup. The enormous trimaran design truly pushed the limits of both man and technology to previously unseen levels. USA-17 easily defeated the Société Nautique de Genève’s yacht, Alinghi 5, in to win the 33rd America’s Cup challenge of Spain’s Mediterranean coast.

Understanding the historic importance of the USA-17 design, it was decided that the boat would be moved to a new permanent outdoor display for all to see. This meant the boat needed to be relocated from a San Francisco warehouse to its new display location in a lake on the Oracle corporate headquarters campus in Redwood Shores, CA.

To achieve this unique relocation of the 120 foot wide by 90 foot long trimaran, a helicopter skycrane lift was required to lift and transport the boat to the landlocked lake. The boat was then crane lifted onto a new set of piers that had been previously installed in the pool.

Cortland custom engineered three (3) lifting slings to execute a 3-point lift used during the helicopter portion of the move. The lift and relocation of USA -17 went as planned and this significant piece of sailing history is now in position on the Oracle campus as a symbol of technological triumph.

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BMW ORACLE Racing wins 33rd America’s Cup.

BMW ORACLE Racing wins 33rd America’s Cup.

• Stacy  Morris

The US- Challenger defeats the Defender 2 to 0.

Munich/ Valencia. The BMW ORACLE Racing team has won the 33rd America’s Cup, dethroning Swiss holder Alinghi. The challenger’s spectacular trimaran “USA 17”, with its futuristic 68-metre wing sail, defeated the catamaran “Alinghi 5” in the waters off Valencia on the second day to record the decisive second win. The best-of-three match ended 2-0 in favour of the US crew of owner Larry Ellison. This Deed of Gift series saw the holder and challenger go head to head in a straight duel.

“Congratulations to Larry Ellison and his whole crew!” said Ian Robertson, BMW AG Board Member for Sales and Marketing. “The goal we have all been workingtowards for over two and a half years has now been achieved. This has been a fantastic performance by the whole team. As Technology Partner, we have also made a successful contribution to winning the world’s most prestigious sporting trophy. We have positioned BMW as a competent partner in competitive sailing and have firmly established the transfer of technology in the America’s Cup. On the construction side, BMW engineers have set new benchmarks for intelligent lightweight design. Added to which, among the relevant target group, BMW is the highest-profile brand in competitive sailing."

With 159 years of history, the America’s Cup is the world’s oldest sporting competition and brings together the best professional sailors, yacht designers and boat builders of their generation in the pursuit of perfection. For the 33rd America’s Cup, the BMW ORACLE Racing designers and engineers were charged with one of the most exacting challenges in the long history of the event. The design rules were wide open, and experts from a wide variety of specialty areas, such as materials research, aerospace, composite materials, electronics, data analysis and numerous branches of engineering, have all played their part in the design and construction of the high-tech yacht.

BMW engineers, for example, contributed their knowledge and EfficientDynamics expertise in the area of intelligent lightweight design. The aim was to build a yacht that was as light and torsionally stiff as possible and could stand up to the rigours of the race. In multihull racing, it is particularly important to keep weight low, as the yacht which can raise a float out of the water the quickest has a major advantage. The transfer of knowledge from the BMW engineers was not a one-way street; the valuable expertise gained over the course of the project will all find its way back to the BMW Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ). BMW has been involved in the America’s Cup as a Technology Partner since 2002.

The future involvement of BMW in the America’s Cup will depend on the development and organisation of the competition going forward. As Robertson explains: “We will make a decision on our further involvement in the America’s Cup over the coming weeks. What is already certain is that BMW will continue to be represented actively in yacht racing. We will go on playing an active role in raising global interest in sailing in the future and continue to use projects such as the BMW Sailing Cup and regional events in the various markets as a platform for customer relations and to further strengthen the BMW brand values.”

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