SAIC and the America’s Cup:
Historical Overview

Immediately after the 1983 races, it was clear that the Australians had an innovative technical design — the winged keel. But more importantly, as was later learned, they had demonstrated a systematic approach to the process of design. That process included a balance between innovation, engineering analysis, and rigorous testing that was lacking in the U.S. program. The Australians fundamentally surpassed the U.S. in technology areas believed to be U.S. strengths.

Dennis Conner understood this change, and chose a team approach for developing and applying technology to design a faster boat. Major technical contributions were made by naval architects Bruce Nelson, Dave Pedrick, and Britt Chance. SAIC scientists (led by Nils Salvesen and Carl Scragg), numerous consultants, advisors, technicians, and several technology and test facility contractors also played key roles in this effort. Stars & Stripes' 1987 victory was a tribute to both Dennis Conner and his crew for their outstanding sailing abilities, and to the design/technology team that successfully produced a faster boat. As a result, the Cup returned to America.

Since 1984, SAIC's America's Cup role has always been to develop and apply technology to create the fastest boat. This objective continues — but the environment has changed radically over the last 15 years. The computer, as a simulation and analysis tool, is more critical than ever — both in reducing costs and in evaluating alternative designs. The role of tow tank and wind tunnel experiments now focuses on verifying computer programs rather than testing point designs. Finally, the ability to integrate and evaluate the ideas of many technologists through networks is now much more robust and rapid. SAIC technologists have learned a great deal from this distributed simulation-based design process. It is the model of the future for many complex design problems.

SAIC was also involved in the 1988 campaign when the maverick mega-yacht challenge from New Zealand threw the America's Cup into a turmoil. From the design perspective two major changes had occurred — the 12 Meter rule was gone and the time available to field a defense was shortened to less than a year. This meant the design team had considerably more design latitude, but also had to accept a much higher degree of technical risk.

Regardless of one's feeling about the legitimacy of the New Zealand challenge or the defender's choice of a catamaran, it is fair to say that the technical design and development challenge was significantly tougher than in the past. Designing and constructing two hard wing sails and their control systems at a scale three times larger than anything in the past was a landmark achievement. Putting together a total design concept based on advanced materials, without the benefit of subscale testing, and constructing a winning boat of such high reliability the first time must be considered engineering accomplishments of the first rank. SAIC was proud to be a part of this effort. The Cup stayed in America.

1991–1995

In 1991, Boeing Company, Cray Research, IBM and SAIC, formed the Partnership for America's Cup Technology (PACT) to provide technology support for all U.S. Syndicates. The inauguration of the new International America's Cup Class (IACC) rule required fundamental research and development that PACT undertook in order to give all U.S. syndicates a leg up.

In 1992 John Marshall and Kevin Mahaney launched their own defense syndicate, PACT 95. SAIC became the founding Technology Partner, contributing technical services and assistance for the design-technology efforts led by Bruce Nelson of Nelson Marek Yacht Design. SAIC teamed with the other technology partners, The Boeing Company, Ford Motor Company, and Cray Research to build the fastest U.S. boat. In addition MIT, the University of Michigan, the University of Maryland, Altair Engineering, Jordan Engineering, Buchanan & Newcomer, Airflow Research and Manufacturing, FMA Consulting, and Sparkman & Stephens all participated and contributed significantly to the design effort. New Zealand, with an outstanding design effort and an extensive two boat testing program, won the cup in 1995. They moved the performance goal a notch higher for the world to challenge in 2000.

SAIC's role in the PACT 95 campaign was to manage and provide overall technical integration for the design technology effort, as well as to perform specific technology tasks. This program, managed by SAIC's John Kuhn, included improving and applying the Velocity Prediction Program (VPP), performing computational fluid dynamic predictions, as well as planning, executing, and analyzing data from the tow tank, wind tunnel, and full scale testing activities. These advanced technologies provided lead designer, Bruce Nelson, with highly advanced scientific and engineering tools. "Young America," PACT 95's only new boat in its campaign, was a result of using these tools in the design process.

On the Internet during the 1995 campaign, SAIC developed "America's Cup On-Line". This "official" America's Cup web site provided current news and information about the 1995 America's Cup races to Internet subscribers through the World Wide Web. By accessing the site, users received specific information including daily racing analysis, detailed data on each of the competing syndicates, particulars about off-the-water events associated with the America's Cup, as well as a schedule for television coverage of the races.

1996–2000

AmericaOne, skippered by Paul Cayard, was the leading US challenger for America's Cup 2000. The team competed in Auckland, New Zealand for the Louis Vuitton Cup and the right to challenge New Zealand for the America's Cup in February 2000.

AmericaOne built two boats (USA 49 & 61) based on four years of technology development and innovation.

SAIC was the founding technology partner. Additional technology partners included the Ford Motor Company/Visteon, Hewlett-Packard Company, Network Solutions, Telcordia Technologies, and United Technologies Corp.

2001–2003

For the 2003 America's Cup in Auckland, New Zealand, SAIC performed technical work oriented to design and performance analysis and maximization and provided a secure internal communications system for the U.S. team, OneWorld Challenge. Sailing under the flag of the Seattle Yacht Club, OneWorld assembled a world-class team to sail USA-65 and USA-67.

Considered one of the top four teams with one of the fastest boats on the water, USA-67, OneWorld advanced to the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-final repechage.

Although defeated in its bid to become the America's Cup challenger, OneWorld left its mark. Having devoted its challenge to drawing attention to the health of the world's oceans, the team participated in environmental projects, brought its message to thousands of school children, and planted more than 10,000 trees along the Hauraki Gulf racecourse.

2003–2009

The SAIC employees that participated in these events are now primarily engaged in work for the US Navy and other customers who utilize many of the same underlying technologies that are used to design America’s Cup racing yachts.