Team New Zealand are developing hydrogen powered foiling chase boats to be used in the next Americas Cup.
The defenders are working with Christchurch-based company AFCryo on the prototype . They have released concept images of the radical boat that has four hydrogen tanks stored in each hull of the catamaran and have electric motors built into their foils and rudder.
It will be constructed at the teams North Shore boat building facility and needs to be capable of standing up to the demands of supporting a high-speed AC75 throughout all aspects of an Americas Cup campaign.
Cup Wrap: Todd Niall heads out on the chase boat to follow Team NZ’s Te Rehutai.
Team New Zealand, which see themselves as a technology company as much as a champion yachting syndicate, designed the radical foiling 75-foot monohulls introduced at the last regatta and say they are committed to drive hydrogen innovation in the marine industry.
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Once built and verified, Team New Zealand and challenger of record Team UK will look to place a requirement in the protocol for the next Cup that all teams must use hydrogen powered support boats.
Team UK and fellow challenger American Magic have hailed the move to sustainable and environmentally friendly technology.
The innovation could also extend to the fleet of support boats needed for race days on race and practice days.
The next America’s Cup chase boats will foil.
Elements of the hydrogen innovation will also be assessed and developed into how they can potentially be utilised in the functions of the next generation of AC75s which have been approved for the next two editions of Cup racing.
Its a major break away from the rigid-hulled, petrol-powered inflatables that have been used in recent editions of the Cup. Those boats needed as many as four engines to keep up with the AC75s that sail with top speeds around the 100 kmh mark.
Team New Zealand continues to be at the forefront of innovation and we intend to really drive the development curve of new and clean technology in the marine industry, Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton said in annoucning the development on Tuesday.
It is our hope that we can make a seismic shift into hydrogen power and an emission free statement for the industry. This initiative is not without risk as we have very specific operating criteria within the team and the Americas Cup, so it is not a small undertaking.
Technical director Hugh Reynolds is leading the project for AFCryo.
It is exciting to work with Team New Zealand on such an aggressive development curve and timeline to deliver on water hydrogen storage and power. The opportunity to contribute to such an exciting project aligns perfectly with our view of sustainable future energy.
