The huge 40m carbon fibre wing on the newly-launched Emirates Team New Zealand AC72 catamaran is made up of components supplied by carbon fibre specialists Southern Spars for the new class of America’s Cup yacht.
The catamaran is made up of components supplied by carbon fibre specialists Southern Spars for the incredible new class of America’s Cup yacht. The company has been involved in producing a large much of the technology used in the America’s Cup yachts since the company was created in 1989.
The 34th edition of the America’s Cup is very different to previous events, Southern Spars director Mark Hauser notes;
Conventional carbon masts and rigging supporting high-tech sails have been replaced by 40m wing sails for the 2013 AC72 class yachts, Working with ETNZ designers, Southern Spars has manufactured 75 per cent of the wing sail components and around 35 per cent of the beam structures for the huge 72’ catamaran.
The yacht now named New Zealand was officially launched at a ceremony on the 21st of July in Auckland, now begins
Southern Spars is currently well-advanced with the wing sail production and are in the final stages of completing work on Luna Rossa Challenges first AC72 wing. The company have the capability to build multiple AC72 wings at the Auckland facility. The wing masts are designed specifically for ease of shipment and New Zealand has direct shipping links to San Francisco where the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup will be sailed.
With both ETNZ and Luna Rossa Challenge running two-wing programmes, Southern Spars will be involved in the production of each team’s second AC72.
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