The development work of the TF35 was spearheaded by a small group of engineers, working on the design and concept of the boat. The team worked tirelessly to improve the weaker areas of the previous foiling catamaran design and further build on its strengths - the result, quicker take off limits, fully automated flight-control and foiling upwind and down.
Gonzalo Redondo - ESP
Design and Performance
Founder and managing director of d3 Applied Technologies, specialized in high performance design. Team member of winning Volvo Ocean Race campaigns as well as Imoca 60’s and America’s Cup, first with Artemis Racing and now with American Magic.
Gonzalo graduated first as a Physicist at the Universities of Santiago de Compostela & Sheffield, and later studied Naval Architecture at the University of Southampton, specializing in fluid dynamics and yacht design.
Designer of multiple foiling yachts and passionate A-cat sailor. Gonzalo, together with his office, is responsible of the hydro/aerodynamic design of the yacht and ultimately performance.
Dirk Kramers - USA/NED
Structural Design
After studies in Mechanical engineering Dirk first worked at the Royal Huisman Yard in 1972/73 Dirk then came to the US to pursue yacht design and engineering in 1974. He worked for Minneford Yacht Yard in NY, engineering and building aluminium racing yachts. In 1975 joined Ted Hood’s organization in Marblehead, Ma. During his tenure at Ted Hood’s he was involved in his first America’s cup campaign in 1977.
In 1980 he moved to Rhode Island and started Hall Engineering in Bristol, and became its managing partner. From Maxi Yachts to dinghies, as well as various industrial and architectural projects during this time, he participated in three more America’s cup Campaigns: for the French in ’83, The catamaran defence with Team DC in 1988, and Bill Koch’s America3campaign in 1992.
Since 1994, six more participations in America’s Cup design efforts took place: 1995: The America3Women’s Team, 2000: Young America for the NYYC; for the 2003, 2007, and 2010 campaigns: Chief engineer for the Swiss Alinghi team, 2013: Chief engineer for the Oracle team, and 2017: Head of engineering for the British BAR team. All in all, 11 cup campaigns, and being part of a winning team six times.
Luc du Bois - SUI
Design and Flight Control
From 1998 to 2017 Luc du Bois has been involved with America’s Cup sailing teams. Working as a performance analyst du Bois is the interface between the sailing team and the design team. His scientific background linked with personal sailing skills and passion has made du Bois a key member of Land Rover BAR, Emirates Team New-Zealand, Alinghi, AmericaOne and BeHappy over the past seven America’s Cup campaigns.
Luc is responsible of the flight control development. Being a local, he also brings to the design team his knowledge on the lake and particularly the D35 class.
Adam May – GBR
Design
Adam competed for Great Britain at the Sydney Olympics in the Tornado class, and has since been heavily involved in foiling with the International Moth class, and most recently the A Class catamaran.
An aeronautical engineer by training, Adam worked for Airbus UK in their wind tunnel and design office, and subsequently blended design and sailing interests with America’s Cup work. Working with Victory Challenge in AC32 and Artemis Racing in the 34th and 35th America’s Cups.
Around AC projects, Adam has been coaching for the British Sailing Team for a number of years, and recently has become the chief technical officer, working with all of the British Olympic classes working towards Tokyo 2020.
Marc Menec – FRA
3D Modeling / Design
Marc has more than fifteen years of experience in the R & D departments of Olympic sailing teams and yachts with a prestigious record in the America’s Cup, the Volvo Ocean Race and others. Expert in the use of Computer Aided Design (CAD), particularly 3D modeling, he has gained valuable experience in CFD, Composite, Naval Architecture, Building Methods and Project Management. After working in boat yard (Luhrs Marine), towing tank (BEC and ETSIN) and yacht design offices (JYD), in 2014, Marc founded IS & 3D ENG to offer its expertise to customers requiring 3D engineering services as part of the development of advanced technologies. Since 2017 he is also working for Foil&Co, developing and designing leisure hydrofoils. Nowadays with IS3D Eng., he is offering a complete range of services for the naval industry from the pre-project to the final drawings.
"What we have designed is in many ways super innovative and new," explains Menec. "Our brief: design a boat that would fly in very light wind, to have electronic stability and that all the boats are exactly the same. It has been a really exciting project for us as a design team as we have designed this crazy high-spec racing machine but that will be raced by small teams. It is great to have the opportunity to work for such an active and implicated owner class with a clear vision of what will be their future boat."
Jean-Marie Fragnière - SUI
TF35 Class design coordinator
