Recently this question was asked in the new Scuttlebutt Forums:

I see BMW Oracle is building its keel fin in Germany, but has to build its hull in the U.S. due to the rules. So the fins are excluded from the rule...I think I remember that Stars and Stripes getting penalized in NZ for a rudder built somewhere else? What pieces of the boats have to be built in the "country" (term used losely, given the apparenationality laxity of the restrictions ;-) of the team?

To which we posted the following answer:

The rules have been changed -- clarified and simplified -- essentially back to what they were prior to 1980.

The relevant rule from the Protocol Governing the 32nd America's Cup, agreed by mutual consent between the Defender (Alinghi's Societe Nautique Geneve) and the Challenger of Record (BMW ORACLE's Golden Gate YC) states at Section 7(f)(i):

"the requirement that the yacht of a challenging yacht club be constructed in the country of the challenging yacht club, and the yacht of the yacht club holding the America’s Cup be constructed in the country of such yacht club, shall be deemed to be satisfied by the lamination or another form of construction of the entire Hull in such country; materials, moulds and other components and hardware used in or during the lamination or other form of construction of the Hull may be obtained from any source;"

"Hull" is a defined term, and "has the same meaning as ascribed in the ACC rule". ACC rule 2.5(r) states:

"'Hull' means the fair body of the yacht up to the sheerline and does not include the deck, nor the appendages."

Hence, for AC 32 the appendages need not be built in the country of the club the yacht represents.

That's a bit an intro to the larger subject of "Boat Building." As previously reported on our main team website, our new ACC yachts will be constructed in the USA, while our keel fins will be built at a BMW plant in Germany.




After our presentation at the Seattle Yacht Club during the USA Yacht Club Tour last month, we had a chance to visit the picturesque town of Anacortes, WA where our two new ACC yachts will be built.




A 90-minute drive north of Seattle, Anacortes is the crown jewel of Fidalgo Island, easternmost of the San Juan Islands and jump-point to the rest of the world-renowned archipelago. Fidalgo, the “drive-to” island, is accessible by bridges from the east and from Whidbey Island to the south. It is also home to the Washington State Ferry terminal, serving the rest of the San Juans and Sidney/Victoria, British Columbia.

From various websites about the town:

Anacortes boasts a myriad of recreational activities for all ages, interests and skill levels. Here you can enjoy sailing, power boating, whale watching, hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, golf, camping, sport fishing, bird watching, scuba diving, beach combing and much more. Anacortes is homeport for numerous sailing and power yacht charters. There are four full-service marinas and three public boat launches.

Throughout Anacortes’ 125-year history there have been attempts to find a name or a theme to best describe the community of Anacortes. Anacortes has been referred to as “The gateway to the San Juans,” or the “Heart of the Island” Empire,” or “The Magic City.” The community could best be described today as “The City within a Park.” Anacortes is proud to boast 12-1/2 miles of saltwater shoreline, four freshwater lakes, surrounded by and inclusive of 3000 plus acres of city-owned forestlands and city-owned parks.

Wahington state's largest fishing fleet berths here. Anacortes is an appealing destination in itself as well as a good overnight stopover if you are planning on catching an early morning ferry to the San Juan Islands.

There is a particularly good "current affairs" article about Anacortes on the Seattle Times site.

Apparently the town's original name was "Ship Harbor." However, it was changed in 1876 by one Amos Bowman -- who gave it a Spanish-sounding version of his wife's maiden name, Anna Curtis, to better fit his vision of the place. No doubt Mr Bowman would be pleased to know that boats bound for an America's Cup regatta in Spain will be built in "his" town.

The town's ersatz name nothwithstanding, it's no mystery why our multinational team of boatbuilders, led by Tim Smyth (NZL), Mark Somerville (NZL) and Mark Turner (NZL), are enjoying their time in the ship harbor called Anacortes....


A postcard of last year's 4th of July (USA Independence
Day) dedication of the "Downtown Arch." Typical civic
pride in small-town America.


Beautiful surroundings, especially when it's not raining!


Needless to say boating is a big biz -- commercial and
recreational.


Not many USA states have their own tall ship. As a privateer
during the American Revolution, the original Lady Washington fought
to help the colonies gain their independence from England. The
reproduction Lady Washington, above, was launched in 1989. She
sails the waters of Washington State and the West Coast of North
America as the tall ship ambassador for the state of Washington.


Anacortes is essentially a big park -- with deer and wildlife
around every corner.


While we were there, BMW structural engineer Thomas Hahn
(GER) and BMWOR design coordinator Ian Burns (AUS) briefed the
local media, explaining BMW's many technical contributions to the
design and construction processes.


And there is much media interest in our boat construction triumvirate,
from left: Tim Smyth, Mark Somerville and Mark Turner.


We got a snap of the entire boat building team just after their
lunch break. The purpose-built facility in which they work, strictly
off-limits to cameras for obvious reasons, is impressive.


A local, Sue Stevenson handles the admin cheerfully and efficiently.


Between meetings, Sue organized a dinner for team members
present for our various meetings. Not sure what the joke was, but
at least Mickey Ickert (right, GER/NZL, our chief sail designer)
thought it was funny. Who said Germans don't have a sense of
humour?


Boat Construction Managers: Marks Turner and Somerville.


Boat Construction Manager Tim Smyth breaking bread
with a bemused Jane Eagleson.


Design team member Bruce Farr (NZL/USA) with Operations
Director Laurent Esquier (FRA/USA).


Another BMW structural engineer, Christof Erberling (GER), with
our CEO and Skipper Chris Dickson (NZL).


Design team assistant Julie Sutherland (NZL), Executive Director
Russell Green (NZL), and design team member Frank DeBord (USA).


Sailing team member and boat builder Phil "Blood" Jameson (NZL)
with Chris Sizenstock (USA), another Seattle-area native who has
joined our boatbuidling team.


The friendly head waitress at a favorite local bar -- our team has
been very well received by the community at large, for which we are
grateful.