Renishaw has renewed its partnership with British sailing team INEOS Britannia (formerly INEOS TEAM UK) as they work towards the 37th Americas Cup. As an official technical supplier, Renishaw will provide additive manufacturing (AM) and position measurement expertise for INEOS Britannia as it attempts to become the first British team to win the Americas Cup in its 172 year history. The competition takes place in Barcelona, Spain, between August and October 2024.
To continue its support for INEOS Britannia, Renishaw will supply products and expertise in position measurement, manufacturing process control and Raman spectroscopy, plus additive manufacturing support to optimise the design and manufacture of bespoke lightweight structural components for the boat. During its time in Spain, the INEOS Britannia team will also benefit from the support of Renishaw’s Spanish subsidiary, which has an Additive Manufacturing Solutions Centre at its headquarters in Barcelona.
The America’s Cup, the world’s oldest international sporting trophy, predates the modern Olympic Games by 45 years. Sailing clubs from around the world have competed for the America’s Cup since 1851, when the United States’ schooner ‘America’ beat a fleet of British yachts in a race around the Isle of Wight, England.
This is the third consecutive challenge for the racing team led by Sir Ben Ainslie, the first British team to have three consecutive challenges since Sir Thomas Lipton and his team over one hundred years ago. Renishaw has been a partner for all three of these challenges. The Challenger Selection Series will take place in September 2024, where challenging teams, including INEOS Britannia, compete to determine who will face the defending Emirates Team New Zealand in the final match starting on October 12th.
The Cup will see teams racing in AC75s, advanced sailing boats that can travel four times faster than the wind. Equipped with some of the best of British technology, the 75-foot foiling monohull ‘Britannia’ will be able to reach speeds of up to 50 knots — over 60 miles per hour. To showcase sustainable innovation, all teams involved will also adapt the boats in accordance with the shared sustainability goals written into the America’s Cup rules. As an example, INEOS Britannia committed to reduce its need for new carbon fibre by using recycled carbon from West Midlands-based recovery plant, ELG Carbon Fibre.
“Renishaw has been proud to contribute its expertise to the INEOS Britannia for many years,” said Finlay Evans, Technical Leader for Renishaw. “We’re really excited to continue our relationship with the team and its challenge for the America’s Cup in 2024, and to be able to give support in the UK and Spain. From our AM Solutions Centre in Barcelona, we can provide a rapid response should the team need additional support with additive manufacturing components once racing has started.”
“Renishaw has been a valuable support, providing world-class engineering and design expertise as we’ve competed to bring the Cup home,” explained Michel Marie, Manufacturing Manager at INEOS Britannia. “Ahead of this competition we’ve also focused heavily on sustainability and committed to using recycled materials to set an example in the sporting world. Knowing that Renishaw has also committed to extensive Net Zero goals and is taking steps to reduce emissions gives us the confidence that we can continue to improve sustainability in our efforts to win the Cup.”
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