Alinghi Red Bull Racing has rolled out the boat which the Swiss team is hoping will bring them more America’s Cup glory (Switzerland under Alinghi is a two-time winner of the event) at the 37th America’s Cup at the end of 2024.

The unveiling of the hull took place during a glitzy evening event out of the Alinghi Red Bull Racing Port Vell base in Barcelona on 5th April 2024, but there is much left to be seen, such as the all-important foils and rig arrangement, which will be seen when the boat is first properly launched.

The AC75 was introduced to the America’s Cup in 2021 for the 36th edition of the event, which took place in New Zealand and which saw a successful defence of the trophy by Emirates Team New Zealand. As a brand new class in that edition of the America’s Cup teams were allowed to build two America’s Cup boats, but for the 37th AC teams are only permitted to build one new boat.

Key features, such as the foils, remain hidden until launch day

As such, this is the boat which will see the Swiss fight for the right to compete in the America’s Cup itself later this year.

Alinghi Red Bull Racing did not take part in the last edition of the America’s Cup and, as such, were permitted to purchase an old AC75 from competitors in order to get up to speed with the class, so when they launch, this will not be the first time the team has taken to the water in the unique foiling monohull design, having sailed on a number of occasions onboard the AC75 that they purchased from Emirates Team New Zealand as a training platform.

First AC75 out of the shed

With only a single AC75 allowed to be designed, built, and launched by each team, timing is crucial on order to give development time to teams to optimise their boats but also not to launch too early and cut design time short. Most teams should be launching their boats in the coming weeks, and we expect most to be on the water by mid-May 2024.

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But the Alinghi Red Bull Racing AC75 – named BoatOne – is the first we have seen this cycle and thus the first AC75 to be launched under slightly modified class rules.

The changes to the AC75 class rule for the 37th America’s Cup include the reduction in crew from 11 to 8 sailors as well as some other subtle changes which mean weight saving of about a tonne, which coupled with the increase in foil wingspan, should improve light air performance of the class – an issue last Cup cycle.

Other than crew numbers, key developments for this Cup cycle are: the reintroduction of ‘Cyclors’, which were first developed by the Kiwis for their successful 2017 campaign, but were outlawed for the 2021 edition; the boats no longer feature back stays; and crews will not cross the boats during manoeuvres.

The nature of these rule tweaks means we were not necessarily expecting the new AC75s to look radically different from those in the last cycle and from what can be seen of BoatOne at her unveiling, she looks to be a development, albeit a significant development, of many of the ideas present on the all-conquering Te Rhutai AC75, upon which Emirates Team New Zealand won the 2021 America’s Cup.

The radical- looking stern is a development of several features we saw in the last America’s Cup

A prominent ‘skeg’ or ‘bustle’ is a clear similarity here as are the slab sides of the hull from which the crew – likely cyclors – will sail the boat in an aerodynamically efficient fashion. All in all, from what we can see, this first AC75 can be summed up as a development of Te Rhutai taking many of the features that made that boat so fast and taking them a step further.

Plus there are some developments that come directly from rule changes, with a very open stern area with a good 10ft of open area and just carbon sidewalls that abruptly end, which should reduce weight in the transom and is something we expect to see in many teams due to the lack of back stays and no need for a ‘safe’ zone in which crew can cross the boats.

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