Today's Louis Vuitton Act 13 in Valencia, Spain, signals the start of the 2007 America's Cup racing season in which one of the 11 teams competing will earn the right to challenge the defender, Alinghi, later this summer for the America's Cup.
For one year now, Allianz has been the main sponsor of the BMW Oracle Team, the "Challenger of Record" for the 32nd America’s Cup. The company not only supports the team financially, but also provides technical know-how: experts at the Allianz Center for Technology have made a significant contribution to making the BMW Oracle racing yachts more robust.
BMW Oracle Team gets technical support from sponsor Allianz
The spinnaker pole is attached to the front side of the mast
Strong yet light
The spinnaker pole, over eleven meters long, supports the 500 square meter spinnaker sails used when the yacht is racing downwind, that is with the wind behind it. If subjected to extreme force, and they have to withstand up to five metric tons, the pole may break, and can not be replaced during the race.
With the help of the Allianz Center for Technology, where experts analyzed a broken spinnaker pole, the BMW Oracle Team was able to develop a more robust pole without adding weight.
More than just sponsorship
"This conundrum lies at the heart of America’s Cup design," said Ian Burns, Design Coordinator for BMW Oracle Racing. "We learned a lot from the Allianz study and we certainly believe we have taken a step forward as a result."
Bjoern Widemann, Global Sponsorship Manager at Allianz, comments that, "Allianz's partnership with the BMW ORACLE Racing Team is more than just sponsorship; we draw on our core competencies to offer specialist support that gives the team a competitive edge out there on the water."
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