The boats teams will race at the 2021 America's Cup in New Zealand "will feature monohulls, a departure from the catamarans used during this year’s competition in Bermuda," the designers said on Monday, according to Rory Carroll of REUTERS. The "futuristic-looking," 75-foot long boats have "wing-like foils" attached to the hull that will "lift them out of the water when they accelerate to reduce drag and increase speed." Team New Zealand Design Coordinator Dan Bernasconi said, "It's early days but we think that when the boats are up and foiling it's got the potential to be even quicker than the AC50 cats were." In an "effort to make the boats safer," the Team NZ and Luna Rossa design teams said that the boats "would be able to right themselves in the event of a capsize" (REUTERS, 11/20). REUTERS' Alexander Smith reported Land Rover BAR CEO Grant Simmer said that designing, building and eventually sailing the new boats will pose "one hell of a challenge." Simmer: "It's not a boat like any of us has sailed before." He likened the hydrofoil design to the "tiny Moth dinghy which has become a favourite for top-level sailors looking to hone their foiling skills" (REUTERS, 11/21).
