Grant Dalton: Yes, ETNZ foils, but….

It's always worth taking whatever any AC team manager says with a grain of salt, because you never know what sort of mind games or head fakes are in play. (Image above via).

But, for what it's worth, here's what ETNZ honcho Grant Dalton says about his AC72 and foiling:

Here's the ETNZ blog:

Late last week sailing web sites and blogs were awash with speculation that the team was “flying” its AC72. Some pictures were circulated and comment ranged from yachties convinced they were genuine to skeptics equally certain they were the work of a skilled photo editor.

So today, the team comes clean…. yes, the AC72 can foil sailing downwind in a moderate breeze.

The question remains: can foiling be sustained safely on the short America’s Cup courses.

Emirates Team New Zealand managing director Grant Dalton said all the teams will be testing foil design so there will be no surprises there.

“The thrust of our testing is to determine if foils enhance performance overall. How will they affect upwind speed? Might that nullify any downwind gain?

“In addition, the effect on boat-handling in upper wind ranges needs to be assessed carefully.

“There is a tendency for the boat to dig in when it is bearing away and the placement of the dagger foils and their shape has a marked effect on this."

So there you have it. Or maybe not.