Friday, September 27, 2013

! ORACLE TEAM USA WINS THE AMERICAS CUP !

RIDING BIEKER BOATS ENGINEERED / CORE BUILDERS BUILT FOILS



It was an epic battle on San Francisco Bay - ending in an eight race Oracle Team USA winning streak to win the Cup after being down 8-1 in a first to 9 event.  It was a hard won regatta - both on the water and in the shop.

The experience of being in a team that "gutted" its way through from almost sure failure to success was a great learning experience.  The Team improved the speed of the boat enough to achieve dominance through changes in sailing technique, wing trim, and hull/appendage modifications.  It is a lesson in the strengths of a diverse team that stays loose and is willing to make changes and take risks. The AC72 foils that we engineered for Oracle Team USA are the most highly stressed parts that Bieker Boats has designed.

 

A few of our projects:


Interceptor ramps on the hull sterns to increase lift on the aft section of the boat during maneuvers and upwind "skimming":


Rudder/hydrofoil intersection cavitation fairings to reduce total rudder drag by approximately 30kgf at higher speeds:




The Guys who didn't give up:


MY FAVORITE CHAMPAGNE MUG: