Reigning America’s Cup champions Emirates Team New Zealand has launched Design Works, an offshoot focusing on bringing America’s Cup technology to high-tech commercial projects.

Emirates Team New Zealand is best known as a sailing team, but the technical capabilities within the design team are also well-recognised in a competition defined by technology and innovation.

Since defending the America’s Cup in 2021, the Emirates Team New Zealand design team has successfully delivered major commercial projects, including hydrogen-powered foiling chase boats, the AC40 class yachts, a world-leading autopilot system, the autonomous racing mark drones recently deployed to the Vilanova preliminary regatta – and a world-record beating land yacht.

Emirates Team New Zealand’s Wind powered Land speed World Record attempt at South Australia’s Lake Gairdner. The Land yacht called ‘Horonuku’ is assembled on the lake and taken for its first sail.

Emirates Team New Zealand’s land yacht Horonuku.

Emirates Team New Zealand Design Works comprises 35-40 designers and engineers across disciplines encompassing naval architecture, composite engineering, mechanical design, fluid dynamics, simulation development, optimisation, mechatronics, software engineering, machine learning and AI.

“We’ve built an incredibly talented team that has developed the fastest racing yachts, foiling motor launches and land yachts on the planet, but AC design work is very cyclical,” says chief technical officer Dan Bernasconi. “We have huge peaks in workload as we design and optimise our racing yachts, but the day after the Cup is raced, win or lose, we have an opportunity to take on some big projects before the next cycle begins.

“Keeping the team working together outside of our normal America’s Cup realm helps us to grow and strengthen the team, and broadening our perspectives on design problems is very beneficial at ‘downtimes’ of AC cycles. And although we’re a year away from racing, to be ready for projects like high-performance foiling power craft, autonomous vessels, ultimate racing yachts or around-the-world contenders, we are starting to have conversations with potential clients now.”

AC40 America's Cup boat foiling at speed through the water with hydrogen powered chase boat foiling behind.

ETNZ’s AC40 America’s Cup boat foiling at speed through the water with a hydrogen-powered chase boat behind.

Emirates Team New Zealand Design Works will demonstrate its technological capabilities at the Indo Pacific International Maritime Expo in Sydney, from 7–9 November 2023, and at the METSTRADE show in Amsterdam from 15–17 November 2023.

“The technology that our design team produces is mind-blowing,” says Grant Dalton, CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand. “We have a room full of PhDs and rocket scientists, but they’re also extremely practical. In our sport, you must deliver on time – the cup starts whether you’re ready or not, and our team runs like clockwork.

“Until October 2024, we’re 100 per cent focused on defending the America’s Cup, but we have an amazing opportunity after that to use our in-house talent on other projects and grow our team for the 38th America’s Cup.”

Main image: Chase Zero marries foiling technology with hydrogen propulsion. Image courtesy of Emirates Team New Zealand.

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