America’s Cup Yacht Design with Siemens Xcelerator

Prada’s team enters boat without having to make a prototype.

(Picture courtesy of Siemens.)

(Picture courtesy of Siemens.)

The America’s Cup may be considered  the Olympics of sailing and is the oldest international tournament. The history and reputation of the event draw the world’s best sailors, boat designers, businesspeople and sponsors. Because it happens every couple of years and only between two clubs, the chances of participating in—yet alone winning—the race are minimal. Teams pull out all the stops.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli is an Italian-based sailing team. Sponsored by Prada and Pirelli, it is owned by Patrizio Bertelli, the CEO of the luxury fashion brand Prada.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli is one of the most competitive and well-funded America’s Cup teams. It has reached the finals and will be competing for the America’s Cup once again. The team is well-known for its exceptional design and engineering capabilities, as well as for inventing in cutting-edge boat technology.

The America’s Cup is always evolving. Teams are continually looking for new ways to improve their performance and gain a competitive advantage. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has decided that using Siemens Xcelerator software and services is one of those edges. The team will use Xcelerator in the design and simulation of its top racing yacht for the upcoming America’s Cup challenge in 2024.

The Xcelerator name is not new. In 2019 Siemens combined its engineering software, services and application development under one (Xcelerator) portfolio. Last year, the company moved this to the cloud, transitioning the portfolio to a platform. According to Siemens, it is “an open digital business platform to accelerate digital transformation and value creation for customers of all sizes in industry, buildings, grids and mobility.”

As software as a service application, Xcelerator provides what we have become accustomed to having with cloud-based solutions. It is accessible, scalable and flexible. Siemens will tell you it is the most comprehensive digital twin. The digital twin is a digital version of a real object, including operating characteristics and the customer experience.

“The Siemens Xcelerator as a Service portfolio provides critical tools to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli that allow the team to design, analyze and evaluate all aspects of the boat’s hydraulics and fluid-dynamic performance,” said Matteo Ledri, head of CFD, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team. “Using Siemens’ software, the hull, foils, rudder and sails can be analyzed as part of the digital twin, to understand how each surface responds to the changes in the project parameters, thus speeding up our work.”

Leveraging the Xcelerator toolset, the engineering team designed and analyzed the sailboat virtually. The results supplied an understanding of how the complex hydrodynamics responded to changes in design. They were able to simulate (and perfect) the hydraulics. A key, as the crew generates power via pedaling.

This is without the need for costly physical prototypes. The team used high-performance computing (HPC) clusters performing thousands of simulations daily and studying the properties of designs under varied environmental conditions.

What is the goal? To speed up the development of the ultimate AC75 America’s Cup yacht. A replacement to the AC72 raced in previous cup challenges.

“The Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team’s selection of Siemens Xcelerator as a Service is another proof point that organizations at the bleeding edge of innovation are using our solutions to bring their ideas to life and find new areas for true innovation,” said Franco Megali, vice president and CEO Italy, Israel and Greece, Siemens Digital Industries Software.

The team has made significant design advancements and can use Xcelerator to simulate and optimize yacht performance. The collaboration capabilities allow the team to manage the growing design complexity and improve manufacturing repeatability.

Written by

Mike Thomas

Initially a tech for an Autodesk reseller, Mike later became the Technical Services Manager for a mining equipment manufacturer. Responsible for guiding technical operations and fostering strategic growth, Mike has a strong grasp of CAD, PDM, and ERP, with a focus on optimizing systems and technology to enhance interdepartmental communication and overall efficiency. His dedication extends to ensuring the support of the company's computer systems, a crucial element in maintaining the company's competitive edge. By harmonizing the strategic technical plans with those of the CEO, they collectively drive the company towards innovative solutions and sustainable progress.