America's Cup demolition derby?
Artemis Racing is the latest giant AC72 multihull to sustain damage whilst testing in San Francisco
October 19, 2012
News that Artemis Racing's AC72 was damaged during tow testing will undoubtedly lead to more speculation about the choice of craft for the 34th America's Cup.
The Artemis Racing AC72 under tow
According to an official statement by Artemis, the team was conducting valuable structural tests afloat when damage was incurred to the front beam of the catamaran.
The AC72 has been hauled out of the water and the design team, led by Principal Designer Juan Kouyoumidjian, is on site to evaluate the damage. This setback will delay the Swedish team’s AC72 sailing program, but, the statement says: "The team will be working hard to have the AC72 on the water and sailing as soon as possible."
The shore crew set to work... it's unclear how severe the damage to Artemis's 72 is, but it's nothing like the disaster suffered by Oracle
"As a team, it is our responsibility not to launch these boats until every single box has been ticked in terms of safety and structural integrity. This is a key part of the due dilligence process when entering unknown territory," said Artemis Chief Operations Officer Laurent Esquier.
"All teams are going to face setbacks, but the determinent factor will be the team that rebounds the best," said team CEO Paul Cayard.
The damage to Artemis follows the severe battering that the America's Cup defenders' craft sustained earlier in the week after Oracle Team USA pitchpoled and drifted out to sea. Oracle's damage is much more serious; her wing sail was completely destroyed and it took the team almost 24 hours to get the remains of the 72's hull and wing back to base, by which time the hull had sustained more damage as it drifted out in heavy seas.
For images of Oracle's capsize, see Oracle AC72 Capsize: Amazing Photos and for a video see Oracle Team USA Capsize: The Video.
