The first awesome week of Maker Camp 2013 is wrapping up, and for it we’re heading on a very exciting field trip tomorrow (Friday, July 12): Oracle Team USA’s base camp, the workshop for the most advanced America’s Cup boat builds yet. We’ll be talking to the engineers and builders and masterminds behind the sail-driven vessels that use cutting-edge materials to stretch to enormous heights and reach incredible speeds. With America’s Cup 2013 happening early this fall in the San Francisco Bay, the action and excitement at the camp is sky-high, and we can’t wait to hear about how it’s all come together.
During the show, we’ll be taking questions and quizzing the campers with trivia, so make sure to study up.
Some interesting facts:
- There are three lengths of yachts being built by Oracle Team USA: 45′, 72′, and 90′ hull (although extra components stretch that length even further)
- USA17, the 90′ craft, has a sail that extends 230′ high — too tall to pass underneath the Golden Gate Bridge
- These wind-driven boats can reach well over 40 knots
- They’re built from carbon composites, and require over 150,000 man-hours of construction time.
I’ll be hosting the discussion and awaiting your questions — make sure to tune in to watch and participate Friday at 2pm ET/11am PT.
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