Video: Ainslie’s team unveils third America’s Cup test boat

Sir Ben Ainslie's bid to bring the America’s Cup back to Britain is moving forward with the launch of Land Rover BAR's latest test boat.

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Land Rover BAR launched the T3 at the team’s America’s Cup home base in Portsmouth.

The AC45S foiling catamaran is another test platform for the 50-foot catamaran that the team will use in their bid to become the first English racing syndicate to win the America’s Cup in Bermuda next year.

Sir Ben Ainslie, four times Olympic gold medallist and America’s Cup winner, said: “T3 is another fantastic piece of technology from our designers, engineers, shore team and key suppliers. It’s terrific to see the step changes we have made each time we launch a new boat. This is a new team, but it’s growing up fast. Really fast.”

The rules of the competition only allow the team to build one full-size 50 foot America’s Cup Class (ACC) boat. However, the team can build shorter (45 foot) versions as test boats – T3 is one of these.

The rules also define much of the hull shape and structure, making wing and hydrofoil control systems one of the key technology battlegrounds.

Just as wire cable linkages between the accelerator pedal and the carburettor in cars have been replaced by sensors and electronics; aboard T3, the ropes previously used to control the sails have now been replaced by hydraulics and electronics.

And so almost all of the team’s innovation and new technology is hidden deep inside this third boat on the long development path to the final race design for the 35th America’s Cup.

The Head of Systems and Analysis at Land Rover BAR, Richard Hopkirk said: “T3 takes us a significant step closer to the systems that we will use on the final race boat. This boat will allow us to test and develop across all the key areas that will impact our ultimate performance, it’s a critical progression in the search for fast, stable and continuous flight.”

T3 will sail from Portsmouth, with a full development and testing programme to conduct throughout the summer.

The team’s previous state-of-the-art test boat, T2 suffered damage in December during training on the Solent.

The boat capsized off Ryde, Isle of Wight causing damage to a section of the wing. None of the crew were injured.