Emirates Team New Zealand has revealed the futuristic, hydrogen-powered foiling chase boat currently under development for the 37th America’s Cup.
The new chase boat will be built at the team’s North Shore build facility and is designed to be used to support the AC75 racing yachts used throughout the America’s Cup campaign.
The project is part of the team’s commitment to hydrogen innovation in the marine industry and is being developed in collaboration with AFCryo, a company specialising in the design, development, and manufacture of composite cryostat. It is hoped the 37th America’s Cup will require all teams to use hydrogen-powered support boats.
Speaking about the project, Emirates Team New Zealand chief executive Grant Dalton said: “It is our hope that we can make a seismic shift into hydrogen power and an emission-free statement for the industry.
“This initiative is not without risk as we have very specific operating criteria within the team and the America’s Cup, so it is not a small undertaking.”
The move is supported by INEOS Team UK principal skipper Sir Ben Ainslie: “With so much investment in hydrogen across the world, shifting to foiling chase boats, powered by hydrogen could well prove to be a sustainable and practical solution for the future of the marine industry, while supporting the AC75’s which are reaching speeds in excess of 50 knots.”