Swiss let the cat out of the boatshed: Alinghi will defend America’s Cup in 90-foot catamaran

Swiss unveil giant catamaran for Cup defense

The worst-kept secret in the America’s Cup is official: Alinghi of Switzerland will sail a giant catamaran when it defends the oldest trophy in international sports early next year against bitter U.S. rival BMW Oracle Racing.

The Swiss confirmed Saturday they will sail a twin-hulled boat that is 90 feet long on the waterline. The cat reportedly has a bowsprit that makes it about 120 feet overall.

The high-tech craft was built in Villeneuve, Switzerland, and will be launched by helicopter on Lake Geneva this coming week before undergoing testing.

Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing of San Francisco are scheduled to meet in a best-of-3 series in February in massive multihulls.

The rare one-on-one showdown is the result of a convoluted, two-year court fight in which BMW Oracle Racing’s backing yacht club was declared the rightful Challenger of Record.

Alinghi gets to pick the venue, with a decision due by Aug. 8, six months before the first race. The Swiss reportedly are considering Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, apparently feeling that their catamaran would excel there in light wind and flat water.

BMW Oracle Racing will counter with a 90-foot trimaran. The American syndicate is close to relaunching its boat in San Diego, possibly as early as Monday. The space age-looking trimaran has been in the boatshed since March for what the syndicate said are significant modifications. The trimaran has gone through three rounds of testing, first in Anacortes, Wash., and then on the Pacific Ocean off San Diego.

With the size and speed of the giant multihulls, it could be the most spectacular racing in the 158-year history of the America’s Cup.

BMW Oracle Racing’s trimaran is capable of sailing 2 to 2½ times the speed of the wind. Its mast is as high as a 16-story building and the mainsail is twice the size of a Boeing 747’s wing. The boat’s three hulls would cover the diamond on a major league baseball field, and are just shorter than an NBA court.

Boats that size can be lethal, too. BMW Oracle Racing’s sailors have been cautious while sailing their big boat, including wearing crash helmets and life vests, hardly the normal America’s Cup attire.

There’s been speculation that BMW Oracle Racing, owned by software tycoon Larry Ellison, is building a second boat. Syndicate officials have refused to confirm or deny that rumor.

The Swiss have been secretly building their boat amid rumors it was a catamaran. In late April, a French employee of BMW Oracle Racing was detained by police after Alinghi employees saw him taking pictures at their boatyard.

“This multihull is nothing like you’ve ever seen before in a big boat,” Alinghi strategist and design team member Murray Jones said in a statement. “It’s like a small boat but scaled up. It’s a highly finely tuned and engineered boat that’s light. It’s a piece of art.”

Known as Alinghi 5, the catamaran has evolved from 35- and 41-foot catamarans favored by the Swiss.

Alinghi boss Ernesto Bertarelli and other crewmen have extensive experience sailing catamarans on Swiss lakes.