America's Cup: Team New Zealand's Grant Dalton reveals potential virtual safety option

Team New Zealand are exploring the possibilities of developing a diamond-shaped virtual boundary to improve safety on the new America's Cup boats.

Emirates Team New Zealand released their newest ground-breaking fully-foiling AC75 monohull design earlier today, which featured twin canting T-foils.

The foil system formed through collaboration between Luna Rossa and Team New Zealand design co-ordinator Dan Bernasconi, raised the prospect of close-quarter match racing dangers.

Addressing the safety concern, Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton told Radio New Zealand it's something they are investigating.

"The bottom line is we treat safety very seriously. That is why the boat is self-righting and we are now looking at options of safety around the foil if necessary," he said.

Dalton added that one of the ideas they've come up with is an electronic diamond to lie outside the foil on the windward side which would display software on the racing yachts and umpire boats.

"If you are trying to push an opponent down the line and hook his stern, you still wouldn't transgress the diamond. But in the wide point of the diamond by the foil, if you go in there, you are going to get a penalty," Dalton said.

The new design was promoted to be more versatile and robust than the catamarans in Bermuda, given the tough conditions expected on the Hauraki Gulf for the 36th America's Cup in 2021.

Dalton liked the return of the bigger 72-foot catamarans apposed to this years 50-footers and says the new designs capture both conventional styles of sailing as well as new technology, incorporating the grandness of the America's Cup and the future.

Bernasconi said the team will begin building mid next year and we can expect to see the exciting new monohulls in action by April 2019.