Swiss team Alinghi unveil giant catamaran for America's Cup defence

By: Bernie Wilson, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 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 27 metres long on the waterline. The cat reportedly has a bowsprit that makes it about 37 metres 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-three 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... [read full story]                    

powered by