New York Yacht Club American Magic, Challenger for the 37th America’s Cup, uncloaked its AC75 race boat, “B3,” as commissioning continues in Barcelona.
On Thursday 25 April, “B3” made its debut as it emerged from the NYYC American Magic base. Previously hidden, it had travelled 3,500 miles from its construction at the build facility in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, to its current home in Barcelona.
“B3” made its public debut for structural and load testing at the American Magic base in Barcelona. This marked the first unveiling of the race boat after a two-and-a-half-year development and build process, totalling over 108,000 design hours and 65,000 construction hours.
Commissioning underway
A further phase of commissioning and testing completes the path for “B3” before an official naming ceremony and inaugural sail, ushering in a new era in American Magic’s campaign for the 37th America’s Cup.
American Magic Skipper and President of Sailing Operations, Terry Hutchinson, said: “Today is an important step in the commissioning process for American Magic and ‘B3’. Our shore crew and engineers have been working methodically over the last 30 days to get us to this moment. We look forward to sea trialling and further development in the coming months.”
With the boat reveals in full swing, anticipation builds for the upcoming Preliminary Regatta in Barcelona on 22-25 August, where all six AC75s will compete for the first time. Following this, the focus shifts to The Louis Vuitton Cup (29 Aug – 7 Oct), where American Magic aims to secure their place in the America’s Cup match (12-27 October) against defenders New Zealand.
