SAN DIEGO—
American challenger BMW Oracle Racing raised what is believed to be the world's largest wing on Tuesday to test as a replacement for a traditional soft-sail rig on its monster trimaran.The BOR 90 was towed out of its berth in San Diego Bay to an area just south of Embarcadero Marina Park shortly after 9 a.m. with the wing lying horizontally amidships. There, the crew raised the gigantic foil for the first time.
BMW Oracle Racing hopes the wing will give it the edge against defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland. Complete with flaps, it towers nearly 190 feet above the deck. It is longer than the wing of an Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger airliner.
"It's an awesome piece of kit," skipper and CEO Russell Coutts said recently told reporters.
The wing adds another dimension to an already over-the-top America's Cup, which will feature two of the fastest, most extreme boats ever built for sailing's premier regatta. BMW Oracle Racing's trimaran is 90-by-90 feet, and Alinghi has built an equally immense catamaran. Both carbon-fiber giants feature engines to run hydraulic systems that trim their sails and move water ballast from one hull to another, a first in America's Cup history.
A long, bitter court fight between the billionaire bosses of the powerhouse sailing teams has led to a rare head-to-head showdown for the oldest trophy in international sports.
