Team NZ's new green machine will revolutionise America's Cup

The boat was built at the champion syndicate’s private yard and is now in the final stages of a complex fit out at the team base before sea trials that are set for March.

Under the new rules introduced for the next Cup, all teams must have a hydrogen-powered chase boat as yachting’s greatest spectacle looks to increase its environmental commitment.

EMIRATES TEAM NZ

How the new America's Cup chase boats will look.

Team New Zealand see hydrogen innovation as a key for the future of the marine industry and predict major flow-ons for general pleasure craft.

READ MORE:
* America's Cup: Innovations will mark huge year for Team NZ
* America's Cup: Grant Dalton throws out his lure. Who will he catch?
* New deadline for America's Cup venue

But these boats won’t be for the faint-hearted as they are tasked with keeping up with the radical AC75 foiling monohulls that are now in their second generation of Cup involvement after their stunning introduction at Auckland 2021.

The prototype chase boat is 10m with approximately 5200kg displacement. Its cruising speed will be 30-35 knots with a top speed of around 50 knots and will carry six crew.

EMIRATES TEAM NZ

Team New Zealand's hydrogen-powered chase boat is close to being ready for sea trials.

It will have a range of between 150-180km, generating approximately 440kW peak power via a 400V DC system powered by the hydrogen fuel cell.

Long-term Team New Zealand sponsor Toyota have been heavily involved, with the project intriguing the big wigs at their Japan HQ, supplying two 80kW pre-production hydrogen fuel cells.

Team New Zealand sustainability ambassador and former chairman Sir Stephen Tindall is enthused at the potential for future sustainability.

“Green hydrogen comes from renewable energy like wind, solar and hydro and once the hydrogen is used in the boat, the only by-product is water.” Tindall explained.

“I believe our ambitious move into hydrogen boats by Team New Zealand will set the scene for motor driven craft as we did in starting the marine foiling revolution.

“I am looking forward to seeing millions of hydrogen driven vehicles and boats over the next 20 years.”

EMIRATES TEAM NZ

Team New Zealand staff work on the major components in the syndicate's new hydrogen-powered chase boat.

The design of the foil wings by the Team New Zealand design team was largely based on AC75 technology and the autopilot which will be used to control the ride height is Team New Zealand proprietary technology.

That system will be implemented in the new AC40 boats that are now in production and will play a huge role in racing and development during this cycle of the America’s Cup.

“The hydrogen project has been a completely new challenge across the board for Team New Zealand designers, builders and engineers,” head of design Dan Bernasconi said.

“These types of projects are extremely beneficial to keep the guys pushing the boundaries, continually learning and approaching problems with different perspectives, which all help to keep raising the bar in our design approach to the 37th America’s Cup which is also progressing in parallel.”