Naval architect for Ben Ainslie Racing

BMT Nigel Gee signs to Ben Ainslie Racing 'Technical Innovation Group'

While Jason Ker no longer seems to be on the Ben Ainslie Racing design team, the British America's Cup challenge does seem to be boosting its naval architecture resource:

BMT Nigel Gee, a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, and a leading independent naval architecture and marine engineering design consultancy, has been announced as a supporting technical partner to Ben Ainslie Racing and the founder member of the Ben Ainslie Racing Technical Innovation Group (TIG).

A skilled team member of BMT Nigel Gee has been seconded to assist BAR’s existing design team. The role is based within the BAR Design and Engineering team who will design, build and test the development and final boat that will challenge for the 35th America’s Cup.

“The America's Cup - like Formula One - has to be a design race, as well as a race on the water,” noted Ben Ainslie. “That has always been part of the Cup’s appeal and that is what attracts some of the world’s best engineers, who have shown a real passion for the design challenge of the America’s Cup.”

John Bonafoux, BMT Nigel Gee’s Managing Director comments: “BMT is delighted to be a part of what promises to be a very challenging and exciting journey. Sir Ben Ainslie’s desire to win is well known and he has assembled an impressive team that will mount a formidable challenge to bring the America’s Cup back to Britain for the first time in 166 years.”

Andy Claughton, Technical Director at Ben Ainslie Racing says: “We’re delighted to have BMT Nigel Gee on-board. The America’s Cup boats use cutting-edge technology and working with the best partners available will give us an edge over the competition. BMT’s position as preeminent naval architects with a history of developing innovative hull forms will provide us with valuable support.”

BMT Nigel Gee, along with other TIG partners, will provide world-class technology and innovation support to Ben Ainslie Racing’s America’s Cup campaign through the qualifying series and leading up to the Challenger Playoffs, which will be held in Bermuda in 2017. The TIG will complement and support the existing design team at Ben Ainslie Racing with an external, world-class, multidisciplinary research and development capability, chaired by PA Consulting Group, allowing the team to rapidly develop, prove and put new technologies into the field.