PlanetSail
Bermuda rebalanced
The fifth event of SailGP Season 6 in Bermuda last weekend provided the conditions SailGP needed to restore order after a chaotic start to the year.
On Thursday, April 25th, B3 made its debut as it emerged from the NYYC American Magic base. Previously hidden, it had traveled 3,500 miles from its construction at the build facility in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, to its current home in Barcelona.
B3 made its public debut for structural and load testing at the American Magic base in Barcelona. This marked the first unveiling of the race boat after a meticulous two-and-a-half-year development and build process, totaling over 108,000 design hours and 65,000 construction hours.
A further phase of commissioning and testing completes the path for B3 before an official naming ceremony and inaugural sail, ushering in a new era in American Magic's campaign for the 37th America's Cup.
American Magic Skipper and President of Sailing Operations, Terry Hutchinson, said: “Today is an important step in the commissioning process for American Magic and B3. Our shore crew and engineers have been working methodically over the last 30 days to get us to this moment. We look forward to sea trialing and further development in the coming months.”
With the boat reveals in full swing, anticipation builds for the upcoming Preliminary Regatta in Barcelona on August 22-25, where all six AC75s will compete for the first time. Following this, the focus shifts to The Louis Vuitton Cup (29 Aug – 7 Oct), where American Magic aims to secure their place in the America’s Cup match (12-27 Oct) against defenders New Zealand.
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