A 40-Foot Foiling Yacht Inspired by America’s Cup Racers Will Be the Star of a New Grand Prix
Racing your own advanced foiling yacht on the high seas sounds like a dream, and three marine heavyweights have teamed up in an effort to make it a reality.
Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ), McConaghy Boats, and Ancasta International Boat Sales are offering private owners the chance to buy a 40-foot race boat and then sail it in a new grand prix.
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Created by the New Zealand sailing team, the AC40 is based on the sleek AC75 foiling monohulls that raced in the 36th America’s Cup in 2021. The Kiwi’s 75-foot Te Rehutai won that year and has proved an excellent muse for its smaller successor.
Crafted from carbon composite, the 40-foot newcomer is capable of reaching speeds in excess of 50 knots and can be operated by four crew (two drivers and two trimmers). You don’t need to be an Olympic sailor to helm the AC40, either. The yacht is equipped with an automated control system to simplify flying. In addition, all the sail and foil controls are driven by battery-powered hydraulic systems. The yacht can also be unpacked and afloat in 48 hours, so you won’t need a big support team.
The AC40 will first be put through its paces at the 2024 Youth and Women’s America’s Cup in Barcelona, with 12 international teams committed to both events. The AC40 management group is eager to expand beyond that in the future, though. It wants private owners to compete in a new AC40 Grand Prix Circuit. It’s even setting up a Mediterranean training base where the AC40 fleet will be located. Here, seafarers will be able to hone their skills in an AC40 simulator and obtain an AC40 Class License before the race season kicks off.
“The AC 40 Gran Prix circuit represents the first ever opportunity to sail and race a privately owned yacht designed by an America’s Cup winning team,” Luca Rizzotti, AC40 Class Manager, told Robb Report via email. “The AC 40 will bring exhilarating speeds with the peace of mind that the most advanced, automated flight control systems are helping you fly the yacht.”
Nine AC40s have already been delivered to America’s Cup teams and three more are currently in production. The first hull has reportedly performed with “eye-watering speed and success,” according to McConaghy. The yacht maker adds that it has “had huge expressions of interest for further sales.”
This “dream” will cost you, of course. The AC40 is priced at a cool $2.85 million.
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