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Team Shosholoza (South Africa) unveiled the hull of its new America's Cup Class yacht at the Royal Cape Yacht Club in Cape Town. It is the first boat built to meet the new Version 5.0 standards. |
The first boat built to meet the Cup's new Version 5.0 standards is the work of British boat designer Jason Ker.
A team of engineers, experts in aerodynamics and composite materials, and software specialists worked for six months on the yacht. The hull is the result of 15,000 hr of research and design work. Building took 25,000 hr.
The new V 5.0 yachts will weigh 24 tons, one ton less than their predecessors. They also have a deeper keel and more sail area than 2003's boats. Crew size has been expanded from 16 to 17, plus one spectator. The next America's Cup takes place two years from now in Valencia, Spain.