New format for Antarctica Cup

And a new maxi boat

The final race format for the Antarctica Cup International Yacht Race 2005 was announced in Auckland, New Zealand today with significant changes to the format.

While the course and the principle of the event remains the same the race will now start and finish in Auckland instead of Perth, Western Australia. The race will still pit national teams against each other in identical maxi yachts, with the race course a loop of Antarctica for prize money amounting to 4.7 million euros, the richest purse in international yacht racing history. The race will take place in February 2005, starting and finishing in Auckland.

The one design maxis will be designed, built and equipped in New Zealand, a needed shot in the arm for the marine industry and local economy following Auckland's loss of the America's Cup. Industry New Zealand has already provided support for the project, which has enabled preliminary design work to proceed (see below).

It is envisaged that some seven boatyards will be engaged in this effort. In addition, the sails, masts and equipment will be manufactured and supplied by New Zealand companies. The race is expected to deliver to New Zealand around NZ$150 million in economic benefits and will create up to 1,000 jobs during the boat build process and the 100 day overall race program.

"The New Zealand marine industry has exceeded our expectations," said Race Chairman Bob Williams. "The boat is an ingenious solution to providing a fleet of identical 25 metre thoroughbred racers that can be converted, after racing duties, to a luxury racer/cruiser. This fits well with our mission to create an international yacht race based on sound business principles that delivers a substantial return on investment to individual boat sponsors.

The one design maxis in the Antarctica Cup will be sailed by national teams, but these will be more rigorously national than for example the America's Cup. Sailors will have to be passport holders of the country they represent. A minimum of six and a maximum of 10 entries will compete.

Williams' concept of the boat remains the same - absolutely identical one designs to ensure a fair and highly competitive contest, but also fixing the costs of taking part: Over and above entry fees, the teams will only have salaries, shore accommodation, provisions and usual basics to pay. They will retain ownership of the boat which will be eligible for the 2007 & 2009 races.

The yachts are expected to take 45 days to complete the 15,000 mile course. Prior to the race, the teams will take part in a mandatory 45-day programme of events, based out of Auckland. These will include short-course and offshore races. A race around New Zealand is in being considered as a testing 'shakedown' before the major event.

The boat

The new Antarctica Cup Class maxi boat is a design by Auckland-based architect Brett Bakewell-White (click here to see our interview with Brett from earlier this year) following a brief to make the boat suitable for being driven hard through the Southern Ocean, safe and easy to handle and also suitable for conversion to a fast cruiser or charter boat post-race.

Whitbread/Volvo sailors were consulted about the concept of the boat with particular regard to the living spaces, heating, sail handling, cooking, ablutions and safety as well as the performance of the yacht.

The boat will have a fixed keel and water ballast and will be made in glass/foam sandwich with carbon fibre spars.

The vital statistics for the boat will be
LOA: 25m
Beam: 5.6m
Draft: 4m
Sailing Displ. (half load) 26250 kg
Sail Area 338 m2
Water Ballast 4000 kg

Sample performance data for the new Antarctica Cup Class maxi:

Wind speed	20 knots	25 knots	30 knots	35 knots
Upwind	10.73	11.05	11.25	11.37
Beam reaching	14.58	15.57	16.6	17.54
Optimum off wind	15.52	17.29	19.91	23.51

The Volvo Ocean 60 has been taken as the benchmark against which the new boat can be compared.

	VO60	Antarctica Cup maxi
Sail area/displacement	33.44	38.9
Displacement / length ratio	71.87	67.89

The racing sail wardrobe will comprise 15 sails with the larger headsails hoisted on furlers for ease of handling.

The wardrobe includes carbon/Vectran mainsail, headsail and heavy air headsail, spectra trisail, carbon jibtop and light jibtop and staysail, Kevlar heavy jibtop/blast reacher, and nylon 1.5oz masthead asymmetric reacher and runner and 2.2oz fractional reacher and runner.

See page two for more images of the new maxi