Alinghi 5

Alinghi 5 is a 90 ft (27 m) (LWL), 90 ft (27 m) beam[3] sloop-rigged catamaran built by Alinghi for the 33rd America's Cup.[4]

Alinghi 5
Alinghi 5, July 2009
Yacht club Société Nautique de Genève
Nation  Switzerland
Class90ft LWL Deed of Gift vessel
Designer(s)Rolf Vrolijk and Alinghi design team
BuilderAlinghi-Décision
Launched8 July 2009
Owner(s)Alinghi
Racing career
America's Cup2010
Specifications
TypeCatamaran
Displacement~11 tons (without mast)[1]
Length110 ft (34 m) (LOA),
90 ft (27 m) (LWL)
110 ft (34 m) (WL sailing)[2]
Beam90 ft (27 m)
Sail areaMainsail: ~6,000 sq ft (560 m2)
Headsail: ~4,000 sq ft (370 m2)
Gennaker: ~11,800 sq ft (1,100 m2)
Alinghi V in Lausanne harbour, Switzerland, July 2009

She was launched on 8 July 2009[5] when she was lifted from the construction shed in Villeneuve, Vaud by a Mil Mi-26 helicopter and carried to Lake Geneva. She was subsequently carried (again by helicopter) to Genoa, Italy.[6] At the end of September 2009, the boat was shipped to Ras al Khaimah, the venue selected by the defender for the 33rd America's Cup.[7][8] At the end of October 2009, the New York Supreme Court (the court of first instance) ruled that the venue of Ras al Khaimah was not compliant with the Deed of Gift. After various discussions, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG—the Defending club) agreed that the venue would be Valencia, Spain.[9] An appeal by SNG regarding the venue was rejected[10] and Alinghi 5 was shipped at the end of December 2009 from Ras al Khaimah to Valencia, where she arrived on 5 January 2010.[11]

Characteristics

Designed by Rolf Vrolijk and an Alinghi design team headed by Grant Simmer, Alinghi 5 was built in Villeneuve, Switzerland, by Alinghi-Décision and required more than 100,000 hours of work.[12]

The mast is approximately 62 metres (203 ft) tall[13] (the mast was initially shorter; a taller mast was installed in October 2009).[14] An engine installed at the back of the boat provides power for the winches.

When sailing upwind, the boat can sail at less than 20 degrees off the apparent wind.[15] During a training run, Alinghi 5 covered 20 nautical miles (37 km) to windward and back in 2.5 hours in 8–9-knot (15–17 km/h; 9.2–10.4 mph) winds, so her average velocity made good was 16 knots (30 km/h), about 1.9 times the wind speed.[16] Alinghi 5 sails so fast downwind that the apparent wind she generates is only 5–6 degrees different from when she is racing upwind; that is, Alinghi 5 is always sailing upwind with respect to the apparent wind.[17] An explanation of this phenomenon can be found in the article on sailing faster than the wind.

The design of the yacht was influenced by that of racing catamarans developed for regattas on Lake Geneva.[18]

Racing results

The first race of the 2010 America's Cup took place on 12 February 2010. Alinghi 5 lost the race to the challenger, USA 17. Alinghi 5 was ahead by 1:27 at the start, but was behind by 3:21 at the windward mark and by about 10 minutes at the finish. Her official finish time was 15:28 behind the winner because Alinghi 5 had to perform a penalty turn, having failed to stay clear at the start.[19]

Winds were 5–10 knots (9.3–18.5 km/h; 5.8–11.5 mph). Alinghi 5 reached the windward mark in 1h32, so her velocity made good was about 13 knots (24 km/h; 15 mph), or about 1.7 times wind speed. Alinghi 5 took 69​1⁄2 minutes to reach the downwind mark, so her velocity made good downwind was about 17 knots (31 km/h; 20 mph), or about 2.3 times wind speed.[20][21]

On 14 February 2010, Alinghi 5 also lost the second race, and thus the America's Cup, again by a considerable margin, even though she appeared to sail better upwind than on the first day, thanks to a fuller mainsail combined with a smaller jib. Alinghi 5 was behind by 0:24 at the start, by 0:28 at the windward mark, by 2:44 at the gybe mark, and by over 2 minutes at the finish. Her official finish time was 5:26 behind the winner because Alinghi 5 had to perform a penalty turn, having entered the pre-start area too soon.[22]

Winds were 7 to 8 knots (13 to 15 km/h; 8.1 to 9.2 mph). Alinghi 5 reached the windward mark in 59 minutes, so her velocity made good was about 13.2 knots (24.4 km/h; 15.2 mph), or about 1.8 times wind speed. The course was a triangle, so the velocity made good downwind was only 11.1 knots (20.6 km/h; 12.8 mph), or about 1.5 times wind speed. Alinghi 5 averaged 25.2 knots (46.7 km/h; 29.0 mph), or about 3.4 times the wind speed, on the faster first triangular leg.[22][23]

Most observers stated that USA 17's rigid wing sail had given her a decisive advantage.[20][22]

She could be seen on Google Maps while trialing on Lake Geneva, but disappeared with the imagery update of 2011 (she can be still be found using the Historical Imagery tool of Google Earth). Using the Measurement tool in Google Maps renders her 110 feet LOA and 75 feet beam.

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References
  1. "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 13 September 2009.
  2. "Title unknown" (PDF). Archived from the original (pdf) on 20 August 2017.
  3. "Designing an AL5 Catamaran for the America Cup".
  4. "Title unknown". Tribune de Genève (in French). 18 August 2009.
  5. "Alinghi 5 takes to water by helicopter". Performance World. Yachting World. Archived from the original on 14 July 2009. Retrieved 10 July 2009.
  6. "Alinghi a volé au-dessus des Alpes pour Gênes" (in French). 28 June 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  7. "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011.
  8. "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 12 December 2009.
  9. "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011.
  10. "Title unknown" (pdf).
  11. "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011.
  12. "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 7 February 2010.
  13. Nusslé, Pierre (6 February 2010). "33e Coupe de l'America: le match du gigantisme". Tribune de Genève (in French). Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  14. "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 7 July 2011.
  15. "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 24 July 2011.
  16. "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 7 February 2010.
  17. "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 13 February 2010.
  18. "Title unknown". Archived from the original on 8 February 2010.
  19. "First Blood to USA". Archived from the original on 31 May 2012. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  20. Nusslé, Pierre (13 February 2010). "La démonstration de puissance d'Oracle brise le rêve d'Alinghi". Tribune de Genève (in French). Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 21 April 2012.
  21. "America's Cup, the numbers of a victory". Yacht Online. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 9 March 2010.
  22. "USA win 33rd America's Cup Match – News – 33rd America's Cup". Americascup.com. Archived from the original on 7 July 2011. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
  23. "BMW ORACLE Racing". BMW ORACLE Racing. 30 September 2003. Retrieved 15 February 2010.
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