Following the recent damage to their converted AC40 (LEQ12) during testing, Emirates Team New Zealand has been busy coming-up with a fix.
Over the first 18 days of sailing the AC40, ETNZ were involved in a couple of events that generated large impacts.
But the latest high-speed uncontrolled gybe and simultaneous deep nosedive, followed by a capsize, saw accelerations that were far beyond all their previous records, and the resulting impact of the water pressure collapsed the foredeck at the bow of the AC40.
Jamie Timms, Emirates Team New Zealand Structural Engineer explained . . .
“Not only did we see longitudinal decelerations 70% higher than the previous worst-case, but this was coupled with a simultaneous lateral loading of similar magnitude – the yacht came to a complete stop and yawed 90 degrees in just over a second.”
“We believe it was this combined load state that led to an initial failure of the foredeck sandwich panel. The damage we saw in the hull and partial detachment of the bow structure is likely a consequence of the compromised deck panel, rather than a root cause.”
With this new data in hand, the team’s engineers have designed an internal structure upgrade package that will be rolled into all current and future AC40 yachts.
This additional structure is intended to restore full structural margins for the uprated load cases and allow the sailors to push the performance limits of the class safely and with confidence.
The internal structure upgrade package will be built by McConaghy’s, who are building the fleet of AC40’s.
The bow upgrade package will be shortly sent from the McConaghy yard for retro fitting to the three AC40s that have already been delivered.
ETNZ do not expect any change to the delivery schedule for the remaining AC40s currently in build.
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