Secrecy surrounds N.Z. yacht’s new keel

Press, 15 February 1986, Page 80

Secrecy surrounds N.Z. yacht’s new keel

NZPA staff correspondent Fremantle The skirts will go up round the New Zealand “pen” once the 12-metre world yachting championships are over in Fremantle, as the New Zealanders try out a new keel they hope will be the key to the America’s Cup.

The keel, extensively tank tested at a secret overseas location described as having the best facilities in the world, is understood to be already on its way to Fremantle where it will be fitted to one of the New Zealand boats for performance comparisons over the America’s Cup course.

Laurie Davidson, who with Bruce Farr and Ron Holland, designed the two identical New Zealand boats racing in the world championships and are working on drawings for the ultimate cup challenge boat KZ7, said this week that the keel was the most promising of a number of designs being tested.

He also said that while the hull design for KZ7 had to be completed fairly early, experimentation with keels could continue much longer. The New Zealand syndicate chairman, Michael Fay, said this week that the new boat will be launched in July.

Once the skirts go up round the New Zealand pen which has for so long been open to public view, rival competitors will know for sure the New Zealanders are up to something. However, while they may be interested in what the New Zealanders are doing, there are a few bizarre designs under their own skirts, according to a report this week. According to the “Bulletin” magazine there are a huge variety of winged keels behind the skirts and the submarine pens with hydraulically operated underwater doors that

have been built round the marina. The most elaborate, naturally, belong to the New York Yacht Club’s syndicate with its two boats, US42 and US44, both called America IL According to the “Bulletin,” the Americans have seven interchangeable keels of various shapes and sizes, the most spectacular of which is said to feature wings not unlike those of a World War II Mustang fighter plane. The wings are horizontal, spread to 3.8 m, and have been seen to come close to breaking the surface on several occasions.

The Americans have also tried an extraordinary delta winged keel swept back in the manner of a Vulcan bomber.

The “Bulletin” says the Italia syndicate has also tried unusual variations on the winged keel theme, and the present keel is similar to Australia H’s, but with two cigar-shaped bulbs set into the wings near the main leg of the keel. Although Canada One is not in Fremantle, the magazine says It is known that her designer, Bruce Kirby, has produced a broad flat, diamond-shaped end plate set well aft on the keel.

While Australia II is suspended for all to see, Australia HI is well shrouded in her pen, although she is said to have a fairly conventional winged keel. The designer, Ben Lexcen, has promised, however, something radically different for Australia IV, the next boat to be built for the Alan Bond syndicate. • Only two countries have facilities for the testing of keels, the United States and the Netherlands. The victorious Australian yacht in the America’s Cup series was tested in the Nethlands and it is likely that the latest New Zealand keel was tested there.