Multiplast delivers the AC50 at Groupama Team France to compete for the America's Cup 35th edition
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These last weeks have been quiet intense in the Multiplast yard, with the transformation of the AC45 Turbo, delivered last July to Groupama team into an AC50. This catamaran will compete in the French colours in Bermuda at the end of May, led by Franck Cammas.
Groupama Team France were training until the 20th December in Lanveoc using the AC 45 Turbo, before sending it back to Multiplast yard at Christmas. The transformation consisted of taking off the 45 feet floats and replace them by two new 50 feet ones. These parts were built in the Decision S.A. workshop in Switzerland, ahead of time and sent by truck to Multiplast.
It was then necessary to proceed to the assembly of the two new floats and repaint them. The assembly is a delicate operation that needed more than 2,500 hours of work from Multiplast and the same amount of time for the Groupama Team, who were at the yard while the transformation took place.
Performance quest ...
Ben Wright, Franck Cammas's Technical team Manager explains : " The modification is very demanding in terms of precision because our quest for performance is constant; we have to control the weight of the boat and make sure that all the systems are reliable. Futhermore, we must respect the rules defining the characteristics of the America's Cup boats. In parallel with the work conducted on the composite parts, which Jack Michal monitored for Multiplast, our task was to integrate the electronics, the hydraulics, but also all the new ideas collected through five months of sailing on the test boat, the AC45 Turbo".