Erik Simonson from sail-world.com writes, 'We knew it was a weapon when it was on the drawing board, and it certainly has lived up to those expectations thus far' says Adam May, Design Coordinator with Artemis Racing from their Alameda California home base. 'We call it the AC 45 Turbo, a scaled down version of what we think our AC 62 will be.' Just to be clear to all concerned, the AC 45 Turbo is not what will be competing in the AC 45 World Series. Those boats will all be stock AC 45's with matching appendages, mechanical conveyances and assorted packages all provided to the teams to keep the competition very even, boat wise.
The new AC 45 F's as they are referred to , will all foil, and training on those boats has been witnessed with BAR and the Luna Rossa in recent times, the noticeable difference is the lack fairings and tiller control vs the wheels, custom cockpits and updated consoles of the AC 45 Turbo's.
So why bother with a scale model of the AC 62? 'It's quite simple' says Pete Melvin of Morelli and Melvin, who assisted in writing the rule for the new AC 62'. 'They can replicate the thoughts and mechanics of the intended designs at much lesser cost and get the design right before committing to the much more expensive 62'. When asked if there is an area of great importance in the wheel vs tiller for the scaled down Turbo's, Pete noted 'the immediate feedback after rounding the weather mark, adjusting the rake and attitude of the rudder is critical. Dialing those things in will be keen in success of the crews in the bigger boats.'
Artemis has been taking it slow and gradual with their immersion with the Turbo unit, and the crews are understandably excited every time they get to sail. Mimicking the conditions expected in Bermuda is a goal, and San Francisco Bay in the winter does assist in finding the 10-12 knot wind range and flat seas ideal for that. 'Even in the summer time, the South Bay , which is right outside our base can offer conditions Ideal for replicating what we expect (12-18 knots) in Bermuda, and to the end we could not be happier'
The AC 45Turbo has been tested with a crew of five, and when queried with the fit of the new coamings and the crews ability to get in and out of them while making maneuvers, and elbow room to do grinding etc, Adam indicates ' Yes, the whole layout was well thought out in advance, and while you can’t miniaturize the crew you can organize things to be efficient and fluid'.
If there were any further questions as to Artemis Racing remaining in Alameda, vs say relocating to Bermuda or Sweden, the answer is yes, the Alameda Base is home. 'We discussed our options when the various locations for the AC finals were being decided, and this location with the pleasant weather, large hanger and easy access to the water is fantastic. We could not be happier.'
When asked if they plan on any side by side testing with rivals across the bay, Oracle Team USA, Adam indicated that there were no solid plans at this point, and Oracle will be shipping out soon, so you just don't know if that will happen or not and as far as delivery date for the AC 62?
'We have target windows on the schedule, but it's a moving target which will be determined by what we learn with the current testing on the AC 45 Turbo!'
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