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Watch Hydrofoil Appear To Fly Above the Water at 46 MPH

Since arriving at the site of the 37th America's Cup in Barcelona in early August, the newly formed Alinghi Red Bull syndicate has had its ups and downs as it tries to tame its AC75 dubbed 'BoatZero' in preparation for what it hopes to be a competitive challenge come 2024.
Alibghi Red Bull BoatZero 10 photos
Photo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Exj_3D_s9Q
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Led by 2000 America's Cup winner Dean Barker the young and somewhat inexperienced Swiss team will need to get get in all the work they can to master the art of sailing these high-speed hydrofoils that are constantly running on the edge of what is possible in terms of getting around a course safely.

The AC75s that will compete in the 2024 America's Cup are not typical sailing vessels. They do not have a keel to rely on for ballast, but quite the opposite. The monohulls are designed to gather speed enabling them to rise up out of the water on foiling arms to reach incredible speeds and even fly just above the water given the right conditions and level of crew expertise.

These highly nimble and somewhat unpredictable vessels can reach speeds upwards of 54 knots (62 mph/100 kph).

Ironically, the AC75s seem to be more stable under full sail and at speeds unheard of in terms of conventional sailing logic, as Red Bull learned soon after splashing in Barcelona. Under tow back to the docks on September 1, BoatZero was hit by a large swell and capsized. While nobody was injured it was a stark reminder of how unpredictable this design can be.

After, roughly 26 days of training off the coast of Barcelona, these boys are showing signs of acclimating to the Spanish waters, but more importantly BoatZero. They reached an estimated speed of 40 knots (46 mph/74 kph) as light winds gave way to wind speeds right on the threshold of sailing safely in these hydrofoils. At times in the video, BoatZero appears to be flying, with only a sliver of her port side foil skimming over the surface of the water.

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