THE INTERNATIONAL AMERICA’S CUP CLASS

Published on

By Dr. Hamish Ross

International America’s Cup Class (IACC) yachts were one of the few good things to emerge from the fiasco of the 27th America’s Cup Deed of Gift match, between the defender’s wing powered catamaran Stars and Stripes and the challenger’s 90’ monohull, New Zealand (KZ1). By then, it had become clear to many stakeholders that the 12-Metre class, first designed in 1906, was not going to produce interesting racing for anyone in the lighter winds off San Diego (or in New Zealand).

An international group of 22 leading designers, over a period of almost three years, developed a new class of yacht inspired by the current Maxi boats to make use of modern yacht design and materials. Several meetings around the world were held, the first in Sardinia at the 12-Metre Worlds in 1987. The first draft of the rule was put together by Iain Murray based on the 12-Metre rule. Then with input from other designers and competitors, molded into the final Class rule and word-smithed by Tom Ehman, then Chairman of the 28th America’s Cup Organising Committee and Ken McAlpine who became the IACC Technical Director for most of the Class’s life.

The new class they came up with was typically 20% longer, 70% more sail area, 40% more draft and weighed 30% less than a typical 12-Metre yacht. The Class formula that was developed forced teams to trade-off between waterline length, sail area and displacement giving design an even greater role in the America’s Cup. Dennis Conner pithily described the design process as; “Putting the foxes in charge of the henhouse”, given the extra money that he would now need to find to fund the additional design work needed. Cup yachts now could be made from the latest materials, providing lighter and stronger structures than the traditional materials of past America’s Cup yachts of wood, steel, aluminium and then more recently fibreglass.

Each yacht would be issued with a consecutive sail number, preceded by the country code letters, these letters would change as ownership of a yacht changed outside a country, but the number always remained. The construction-in-country rule of the Deed of Gift prevented yachts being on sold and reused in Cup competition outside the country of build.

ll Moro di Venezia (ITA-1)

The first yacht to be issued a sail number, was Il Moro di Venezia (ITA-1) launched on 11 March 1990, but it was not the first yacht of the Class to be launched. That honour went to Le Defi Francais (FRA-2) which was launched on 3 Match 1990, now on display at the Conservatoire International de la Plaisance de Bordeaux, France, marking the official birthday of the class.

Le Defi Francais (FRA-2)

Neither of these yachts raced for the Cup and were used as test yachts only. The first IACC yacht ever to be officially raced for the Cup was the eighth yacht launched, the second Ville de Paris (FRA- 8). New Zealand’s first IACC yachts were NZL10, NZL 12 and NZL 14 but none of these ever raced for the Cup. The first two are now used as charter yachts in Nassau in the Bahamas and the last, NZL 14, can be seen moored in Queenstown, New Zealand on Lake Wakatipu.

While there had been some unofficial racing between the competitors, the first official outing of the new class was the 1991 Pre-IACC World Championship (followed by the IACC World Championship) held in San Diego in May 1991, which was won by Nippon (JPN 6) helmed by Chris Dickson (NZL).  The competing teams all struggled to get to grips with the demands of the new class as most of the yachts suffered damage.  Bill Koch fumed in frustration announcing at a press conference, “I think the guys that made up the rule that designed this boat are idiots”. Koch and his team however managed to overcome their issues to become the first America’s Cup winners in the Class in America3 (USA-23) in the 1992 match, defeating another Il Moro di Venezia named yacht (ITA-25).

America3 (USA-23) and ll Moro di Venezia (ITA-25) in the 1992 America's Cup.

The 1992 America’s Cup saw 28 sail numbers issued with many teams building as many as four yachts, the match challenger – five. To keep costs under better control, the competitors were thereafter restricted to building only two new yachts, although sometimes the boundaries of this new rule were stretched to breaking point when Nippon Challenge replaced an entire mid-section, necessitating a further tightening of the rules after 1995, as to what constituted a new yacht.

The IACC Class Rules underwent revision after every America’s Cup match by the defender and its challenger of record, so that there were a successive five versions of the Class Rule, the last published for the 2007 America’s Cup match held in Valencia, Spain, which unknown at the time, became the America’s Cup swansong for the Class. After that match, the defender Alinghi, announced a new 90’ monohull would be used for the next America’s Cup match scheduled for 2009, but the plan was derailed by legal proceedings, resulting in the 2010 match held under the terms of the Deed of Gift.

 IACC Vs. AC90

In all, 100 sail numbers were issued for the Class (number 13 was never issued and some yachts were reissued with new sail numbers after extensive modifications). The last number issued was GER-101 for the United Internet Germany Team. Sail number 69 was not planned to be issued by the Technical Director Ken McAlpine, until a French team, Le Défi Areva, insisted on the number for its 2003 America’s Cup yacht of the same name.

The yachts of the Class are now on either display, in storage in various states or being used as tourist yachts, but they were the foundation of the America’s Cup experiences of a generation of sailors, designers and fans. The Class made many America’s Cup sailors famous; many of whom will be in and around Auckland in the summer of 2021. The Class gave us many immortal America’s Cup moments: Who will ever forget the Cup wins of the Class victors; America3 (USA-23) (1992); Black Magic (NZL 32) (1995), New Zealand (NZL-60) (2000) Alinghi (SUI-64) (2003) and Alinghi (SUI-100) (2007)?

Black Magic (NZL-32) versus Young America (USA-36) in the 1995 America's Cup.

Interestingly, the first and last of these America’s Cup matches saw match races go to each competitor, demonstrating the Class produced very competitive yachts and exciting racing right up to the very end of its America’s Cup tour of duty.

The last official regatta held for the Class was the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai held in November 2010, won by Emirates Team New Zealand. A planned regatta for Hong Kong was cancelled as teams sought to focus and prepare for the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco. One day, perhaps, we will see the International America’s Cup Class revitalised in much the same way as the 12-Metre class has been. A search of the internet shows the first of the Class, Il Moro di Venezia ITA-1 now for sale in California.

You served us well, but - Abiit nemine salutato (She left us without bidding farewell)

Watch the Final IACC Race in the America's Cup

THE INTERNATIONAL AMERICA’S CUP CLASS

Published on

By Dr. Hamish Ross

International America’s Cup Class (IACC) yachts were one of the few good things to emerge from the fiasco of the 27th America’s Cup Deed of Gift match, between the defender’s wing powered catamaran Stars and Stripes and the challenger’s 90’ monohull, New Zealand (KZ1). By then, it had become clear to many stakeholders that the 12-Metre class, first designed in 1906, was not going to produce interesting racing for anyone in the lighter winds off San Diego (or in New Zealand).

An international group of 22 leading designers, over a period of almost three years, developed a new class of yacht inspired by the current Maxi boats to make use of modern yacht design and materials. Several meetings around the world were held, the first in Sardinia at the 12-Metre Worlds in 1987. The first draft of the rule was put together by Iain Murray based on the 12-Metre rule. Then with input from other designers and competitors, molded into the final Class rule and word-smithed by Tom Ehman, then Chairman of the 28th America’s Cup Organising Committee and Ken McAlpine who became the IACC Technical Director for most of the Class’s life.

The new class they came up with was typically 20% longer, 70% more sail area, 40% more draft and weighed 30% less than a typical 12-Metre yacht. The Class formula that was developed forced teams to trade-off between waterline length, sail area and displacement giving design an even greater role in the America’s Cup. Dennis Conner pithily described the design process as; “Putting the foxes in charge of the henhouse”, given the extra money that he would now need to find to fund the additional design work needed. Cup yachts now could be made from the latest materials, providing lighter and stronger structures than the traditional materials of past America’s Cup yachts of wood, steel, aluminium and then more recently fibreglass.

Each yacht would be issued with a consecutive sail number, preceded by the country code letters, these letters would change as ownership of a yacht changed outside a country, but the number always remained. The construction-in-country rule of the Deed of Gift prevented yachts being on sold and reused in Cup competition outside the country of build.

ll Moro di Venezia (ITA-1)

The first yacht to be issued a sail number, was Il Moro di Venezia (ITA-1) launched on 11 March 1990, but it was not the first yacht of the Class to be launched. That honour went to Le Defi Francais (FRA-2) which was launched on 3 Match 1990, now on display at the Conservatoire International de la Plaisance de Bordeaux, France, marking the official birthday of the class.

Le Defi Francais (FRA-2)

Neither of these yachts raced for the Cup and were used as test yachts only. The first IACC yacht ever to be officially raced for the Cup was the eighth yacht launched, the second Ville de Paris (FRA- 8). New Zealand’s first IACC yachts were NZL10, NZL 12 and NZL 14 but none of these ever raced for the Cup. The first two are now used as charter yachts in Nassau in the Bahamas and the last, NZL 14, can be seen moored in Queenstown, New Zealand on Lake Wakatipu.

While there had been some unofficial racing between the competitors, the first official outing of the new class was the 1991 Pre-IACC World Championship (followed by the IACC World Championship) held in San Diego in May 1991, which was won by Nippon (JPN 6) helmed by Chris Dickson (NZL).  The competing teams all struggled to get to grips with the demands of the new class as most of the yachts suffered damage.  Bill Koch fumed in frustration announcing at a press conference, “I think the guys that made up the rule that designed this boat are idiots”. Koch and his team however managed to overcome their issues to become the first America’s Cup winners in the Class in America3 (USA-23) in the 1992 match, defeating another Il Moro di Venezia named yacht (ITA-25).

America3 (USA-23) and ll Moro di Venezia (ITA-25) in the 1992 America's Cup.

The 1992 America’s Cup saw 28 sail numbers issued with many teams building as many as four yachts, the match challenger – five. To keep costs under better control, the competitors were thereafter restricted to building only two new yachts, although sometimes the boundaries of this new rule were stretched to breaking point when Nippon Challenge replaced an entire mid-section, necessitating a further tightening of the rules after 1995, as to what constituted a new yacht.

The IACC Class Rules underwent revision after every America’s Cup match by the defender and its challenger of record, so that there were a successive five versions of the Class Rule, the last published for the 2007 America’s Cup match held in Valencia, Spain, which unknown at the time, became the America’s Cup swansong for the Class. After that match, the defender Alinghi, announced a new 90’ monohull would be used for the next America’s Cup match scheduled for 2009, but the plan was derailed by legal proceedings, resulting in the 2010 match held under the terms of the Deed of Gift.

 IACC Vs. AC90

In all, 100 sail numbers were issued for the Class (number 13 was never issued and some yachts were reissued with new sail numbers after extensive modifications). The last number issued was GER-101 for the United Internet Germany Team. Sail number 69 was not planned to be issued by the Technical Director Ken McAlpine, until a French team, Le Défi Areva, insisted on the number for its 2003 America’s Cup yacht of the same name.

The yachts of the Class are now on either display, in storage in various states or being used as tourist yachts, but they were the foundation of the America’s Cup experiences of a generation of sailors, designers and fans. The Class made many America’s Cup sailors famous; many of whom will be in and around Auckland in the summer of 2021. The Class gave us many immortal America’s Cup moments: Who will ever forget the Cup wins of the Class victors; America3 (USA-23) (1992); Black Magic (NZL 32) (1995), New Zealand (NZL-60) (2000) Alinghi (SUI-64) (2003) and Alinghi (SUI-100) (2007)?

Black Magic (NZL-32) versus Young America (USA-36) in the 1995 America's Cup.

Interestingly, the first and last of these America’s Cup matches saw match races go to each competitor, demonstrating the Class produced very competitive yachts and exciting racing right up to the very end of its America’s Cup tour of duty.

The last official regatta held for the Class was the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai held in November 2010, won by Emirates Team New Zealand. A planned regatta for Hong Kong was cancelled as teams sought to focus and prepare for the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco. One day, perhaps, we will see the International America’s Cup Class revitalised in much the same way as the 12-Metre class has been. A search of the internet shows the first of the Class, Il Moro di Venezia ITA-1 now for sale in California.

You served us well, but - Abiit nemine salutato (She left us without bidding farewell)

Watch the Final IACC Race in the America's Cup