16th February 2010
Thanks in part to gears supplied by two AGMA members, a world-class yacht race has a winner. The BMW ORACLE Racing team has won the 33rd America’s Cup.
The winches on a racing yachts reportedly are critical items of equipment. Speed, reliability and weight are important factors when determining which winch packages will be installed on a racing yacht.
Forest City Gear Co., Inc., supplied crown gears and splines of special high-strength, lightweight and corrosion-resistant titanium for use in the engine and winch system of the new BMW ORACLE Racing trimaran. Meanwhile, Arrow Gear ran the project to deliver the bevel gears.
BMW ORACLE Racing was looking to reduce mass and increase in mechanical efficiency of the gear and spline assembly. A prototype project proved successful, and the team undertook a complete redesign of the gearboxes for their USA87 and USA98 yachts.
As Jon Williams, a member of BMW ORACLE Racing’s shore team, explained, “The construction of our trimaran was a formidable project, and it was clear we needed to utilize a group of vendors with specialist skill and expertise.”
AGMA is an invaluable resource for a leading gear manufacturer such as Bonfiglioli to ensure our gears exceed industry standards
Greg Schulte, Bonfiglioli USA