Revolutionary Boat From San Pedro Challenges for Little America’s Cup
MELBOURNE, Australia — A revolutionary sailboat from the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club in San Pedro will start a best-of-7 series against the Australian defender of the Little America’s Cup here Saturday.
The competition--known formally as the International Catamaran Challenge Trophy--is for Class C catamarans 25 feet long.
Class C catamarans are distinct for their airfoil wing-type sails, which inspired the design of the 60-foot Stars & Stripes catamaran Dennis Conner sailed in a lopsided, 2-race defense of the America’s Cup against New Zealand’s 130-foot monohull last September.
The San Pedro boat, dubbed Wingmill, features an airfoil that rotates top to bottom like a pinwheel when the boat tacks or jibes (alters course across the wind direction). It will be sailed by brothers Steve and Brian Dair of San Pedro.
The defender will be Edge II, a conventional Class C cat to be sailed by Simon McKeon and Dave Churcher.
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