America’s Cup commentator Gary Jacobson recently talked with NYYC American Magic’s skipper and Executive Director Terry Hutchinson.
This was part of US Sailing’s Starboard Portal new video channel is keeping US sailors connected to their sport with videos and live content featuring a variety of knowledgeable experts.
The American Magic team are under lockdown in Pensacola, Florida.
Depending on how the coronavirus situation plays out in both the USA and New Zealand, Hutchinson expects their second boat to be finished in late August/early September 2020.
The plan is to then to fly both Defiant and the new second AC75 direct to Auckland, New Zealand, without any sailing time on the second boat in the USA.
Hutchinson believes that for all the teams, things are still very much out of their control and they have to design for a wide range of wind strengths.
He commented, “If the boat is so geared to one condition . . . we probably won’t win the regatta.”
“We need to cover a wide range of wind strengths to make sure that we at least don’t take ourselves out of it.”
In reply to Jacobson’s question as to the chances of seeing historic match-racing style circling start duels and sustained gybing and tacking duels?
Hutchinson replied with a blunt, “Probably not!”
He continued, “Boundary racing is a very different strategy . . . the boat speed component is massive, and if your boat is faster than the next guy, I would expect that even if you put it in a compromised spot, it’s always going to look like the right decision.”
“Our goal is and are challenge is to make sure that as we are developing and going forward, that more often than not we are taking decisions that are going to produce a faster boat.”
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