The AC72 is a wingsail catamaran

Catamaran

A catamaran is a type of multihulled boat or ship consisting of two hulls, or vakas, joined by some structure, the most basic being a frame, formed of akas...

 box rule, which will be used to govern the races in the 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup

2013 Louis Vuitton Cup

The 8th Louis Vuitton Cup will be held in San Diego, United States of America in 2013. The winner will go on to challenge for the 2013 America's Cup.-The teams:...

 selection series and the 2013 America's Cup.

History

Yachts will be designed and built starting in 2011, launching July 2012 for early testing, and begin racing in 2013. Designers and builders for each team will create their own hulls, wings, soft sails, and underwater foils within the confines of the rules, and will be allowed to test and refine their designs prior to the official measurements for the races.

Dimensions

The main dimensions are:

• Length: 22 m (72.2 ft)
• Length overall: 26.2 m (86 ft)
• Width: 14 m (45.9 ft)
• Draft: 4.4 m (14.4 ft)
• Displacement (w/o crew): 5900 kg (13,007.3 lb)
• Mast: 40 m (131.2 ft)
• Upwind sail area (estimate): 260 sqm (wing)
• Downwind sail area (estimate): 580 sqm (wing and gennaker)
• Crew: 11 person