Cecarelli on the new +39 boat ITA 85

Giovanni Ceccarelli - head of design, +39 Challenge

Source:www.americascup.com

Soaking up 58 000 hours of research, involving 11 people for 24 months, ITA 85 is not only the pride and joy of the Italian +39 Challenge, but the product of a long and detailed research programme. Chief designer Giovanni Ceccarelli describes the new boat, which was christened at the team base in Port America’s Cup on Saturday night, as highly innovative.

What makes ITA 85 stand out?
"We tested 110 hull shapes and 210 keel and appendage configurations. It was important for us to validate the every aspect and not just rely on the ideas from the minds of the design team.

"We wanted an innovative hull. We started by reading the America's Cup Class rule and saw that there was not enough space on the structural side to develop a significant advantage so we went down the route of the shape of the canoe body and the appendages. This is where our research focussed.”

Read more about the new boat in the Team section