MULTIPLAST and the 34th America's Cup

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The American Defender, winner of the America's Cup last February, has just announced the decision to sail the next cup on 22 metre catamarans with rigid wings. MULTIPLAST is currently analysing the protocol and the measurement rules for this new class of multihulls to be able to provide solutions to a future Challenger as soon as possible.

The choice of the next America's Cup in the AC72 class was received with much satisfaction at MULTIPLAST. It is true that the company has unequalled experience in the design and construction of large catamarans. Furthermore, in the past MULTIPLAST built 5 of the America's Cup

monohulls (F1, Ville de Paris, 6ème sens and 2 AREVAs) and masters this kind of complicated project perfectly.

The strengths of MULTIPLAST for this challenge are:

• A Design Team specialised in the design of racing catamarans.
• Close collaboration possible with aeronautical engineers via the Emc² techno centre.
• A production capacity making delivery of a first AC72 possible towards end 2011.
• Industrial resources perfectly suited to this kind of construction (Large curing ovens up to class 180°C, access to large sized autoclaves, etc.).
• Experience in the management of large projects and keeping to tight deadlines.
• Automated lay-up technology enabling the production of skins in prepreg carbon, optimized in relation to mass and orientation.

The protocol published by the Golden Gate Yacht Club (Defender) specifies a certain number of rules related to the country of origin of the architects, engineers and builders of the catamaran.
Because of this:

• The Gilles Ollier Design Team will be able to work on the architecture of the catamaran for a challenger from either France or abroad.
• MULTIPLAST may only make AC72 hulls for a French challenge.,
• MULTIPLAST will be able to make the rigid airfoils, beams, daggerboards and rudders, for a French or international challenge.

Therefore, for MULTIPLAST, the work in the weeks to come will be to continue the studies related to these new measurement rules. The aim will be to be able to offer solutions to a future Challenger that can be used rapidly.