5.00pm in Bermuda on April 6th 2017 will mark exactly 50 days to go until the start of the 35th America’s Cup in Bermuda.
The countdown continues to what many experts are predicting could be the greatest America’s Cup in the 166 year history of the competition for the oldest trophy international sport.
Why does the competition, taking place in Bermuda from 26th May to 27th June, promise to be so good? Here are just a select number of reasons why:
The America’s Cup Class (ACC) boats being raced by the six America’s Cup teams are the fastest and most maneuverable in the history of the America’s Cup.
Hydrofoiling, carbon-fibre catamarans, literally flying above the surface of the water at speeds over 90kph (50 knots), powered not by traditional sails but by wingsails.
The ACC boats are not only capable of incredible speeds on the water, more than three-times the speed of the wind, they are also able to complete an entire race, approximately 20 minutes, up on their ‘foils, tacking and gybing without their hulls touching the water, and sailing upwind above the waves. This is spectacular, but it also puts even more pressure on the crews on board who will know that one small mistake could be the difference between winning and losing. The margins are going to be that tight. Dip your bow in the water for a split second and your opponent could be out of reach in the blink of an eye.
The sailors on board the ACC boats are supreme athletes, comparable to NFL linebackers or Olympic sprinters in their power output levels, strength and stamina. They are truly heroic figures, people who are heroes to the next generation of sailors, but their sporting abilities transcend their sport – they are, in a word, superhuman.
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