How do you make a fast boat go faster? It’s not easy keeping up with a high-performance foiling monohull capable of speeds of up to 90km/h This Emirates Team New Zealand chase boat needed all the power its four 400hp Mercury engines could generate, just to keep up on the Hauraki Gulf this summer. You need impressive marine engineering and hydraulic skills to get a 6.5 tonne yacht to fly - you also need the best sailors and the best forecasts you can get about conditions, both above and below the water. NIWA worked with Emirates Team New Zealand for more than 19 months as the official supplier of weather and marine data, delivering high resolution wind and current forecasts to help shape both boat design and race day tactics. We can’t give away all the secrets, but as Emirates Team New Zealand trimmer Glen Ashby says: “Getting accurate forecasting is absolutely paramount to the success of our team.”
26 Water & Atmosphere
August 2021
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