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Cup News

12 Feb 2024

Future Ships: Picture Perfect

(Image: Siemens)

Big data, advanced computers and AI are allowing vessel designers to prepare models that leave essentially nothing to chance.“Lastly, it may be of considerable importance to form from the draught a block model of the vessel from which a still more accurate judgment may be formed of the fitness and beauty of the body. And should any defect be discovered, farther alterations must still be made, till the draught and the model are perfectly approved of. These different alterations and repeated calculations may appear very tedious…

03 Feb 2024

Americas Cup Innovation & a Carbon-Free Shipping Future

Image © AYRO  UNI PROD

The Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) represented by BMW Oracle Racing and the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), the Americas Cup defending champion, represented by Team Alinghi were entwined in a 2.5-year legal battle over multiple court cases, including hearings in the New York Supreme Court and the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court, prior to the 33rd edition of the race, due to take place in 2010.The parties disagreed about the location, format, and restrictions on boat design, all of which were changed by the courts prior to the race.

26 Dec 2023

Shipwrecks Teem with Underwater Life, from Microbes to Sharks

© Erik / Adobe Stock

Humans have sailed the world’s oceans for thousands of years, but they haven’t all reached port. Researchers estimate that there are some three million shipwrecks worldwide, resting in shallow rivers and bays, coastal waters and the deep ocean. Many sank during catastrophes – some during storms or after running aground, others in battle or collisions with other vessels.Shipwrecks like the RMS Titanic, RMS Lusitania and USS Monitor conjure tales of human courage and sacrifice, sunken treasure and unsolved mysteries.

19 Mar 2023

Saddam's Rusting Yacht Serves as Picnic Spot for Iraqi Fishermen

(Photo: David Stanley / CC BY 2.0)

Capsized in a river in southern Iraq, the rusting wreck of a yacht that belonged to Saddam Hussein serves as a stark reminder of his iron-fisted rule that ended with the U.S.-led invasion two decades ago.The 121-metre (396 ft) "al-Mansur", a symbol of Saddam's wealth and power when it was built in the 1980s, is today a destination for sightseers and fisherman who clamber aboard the wreck to picnic and drink tea."When it was owned by the former president, no one could come close to it…

30 Nov 2022

Germany to Get New Qatari LNG flows Through QatarEnergy, ConocoPhillips Deal

Credit: QatarEnergy

Germany is set to receive new flows of Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) from 2026 after QatarEnergy and ConocoPhillips COP.N on Tuesday signed two sales and purchase agreements for its export covering at least a 15-year period. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, competition for LNG has become intense, with Europe in particular needing vast amounts to help replace Russian pipeline gas that used to make up almost 40% of the continent's imports.The deal, the first of its kind to Europe from Qatar's North Field expansion project…

18 Nov 2022

Britain Says Drone Circles Vessel in Gulf of Oman

© Val Traveller / Adobe Stock

Britain's maritime agency said a drone circled a ship in the Gulf of Oman on Friday, three days after an Iranian-made drone attacked a tanker in the region.The Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which is part of the Royal Navy, said the incident took place about 50 miles southwest of Muscat. The vessel and crew were reported to be safe. It did not specify what kind of vessel was involved.The U.S.

02 Aug 2022

IMTRA Grows Its Commercial Sales Team

Rusty Morgan (Photo: IMTRA)

New Bedford, Mass. based manufacturer and importer of marine and commercial products IMTRA announced it has hired Rusty Morgan to take on the role of Regional Commercial Sales Manager for the Pacific Northwest. Eric MacDonald, who held the position most recently, has expanded his responsibilities to support IMTRA’s growing commercial sales and increased product offering from IMTRA’s headquarters in New Bedford.With the offshore wind segment in particular growing rapidly, having…

01 Mar 2023

Back to The Future? Cargo Giant Cargill Turns to Sails to Cut Carbon

Credit: BAR Technologies (File Image)

In a new take on ancient technology, Cargill, one of the world's biggest charterers of ships, is to add state-of-the art sails to a vessel early next year to test whether wind power can cut its carbon emissions, a top company executive said.With about 90% of world trade transported by sea, shipping accounts for nearly 3% of the world's CO2 emissions, yet environmental campaigners say efforts by the sector to cut emissions are slow.Leading agri group Cargill will start testing a dry bulk vessel with two wind sails in the first quarter of 2023…

08 Jun 2022

VIDEO: BOEM, NOAA Use Drones to Tag Endangered Whales

Photo credit; Laura Howes; permit #18059 Issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary on Wednesday announced the successful digital acoustic tagging of 14 sei whales in waters offshore Massachusetts. This is the first time researchers have successfully tagged an endangered species in the United States using an uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), or drone. The data will help authorities to better inform offshore wind energy area selection.BOEM said that the collected data would shed important light on the whales’ acoustic behavior…

28 Apr 2022

In Offshore Energy, the Winds of Robotic Change are Blowing

BladeBUG during trials at the 7 MW Levenmouth Demonstration Turbine. Photos from ORE Catapult.

Whether we realize it or not, robotics and robotics systems are starting to impact our daily lives. From warehouse picking systems through to high-end medical devices through to your mowbot lawnmower. Each tends to be specialized to its own task and a similar trend is now starting to play out in the offshore wind space, where it’s hoped that robots can make operations safer and more efficient.According to a report, The Economic Opportunity for Robotics in Offshore Wind and Key Energy Markets by the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult (ORE Catapult)…

13 Apr 2022

Edward Heerema – Dutch Courage with Single-minded Focus

“A new challenge is the installation of big windmills. Big windmills today are 13 MW, 14MW. They are going up to 15 MW and people talk about 20 MW, so we have developed a system that can handle up to 20 MW. By weight it’s nothing, but in terms of technical challenge, it’s very interesting because the windmills are very big, the blades are extreme sizes and installation is at enormous heights. We think Pioneering Spirit is a big vessel, but if you take the biggest windmill of the future, she is t

Edward Heerema is founder and president of Allseas, which brought the world’s largest construction vessel, Pioneering Spirit, to the market. The company, which also brought innovation to the pipelay sector, has added its latest trick to Pioneering Spirit – its jacket lift system. But Allseas is also targeting deepsea mining and has its sights on the offshore wind market. Elaine Maslin caught up with Edward Heerema to find out more.The first time I met Edward Heerema was at the company’s offices in Delft, in the Netherlands.

26 Jan 2022

Seacat's New Offshore Wind Support Vessel Sporting Yacht Racing Tech

Credit: Chartwell Marine

Offshore vessel designer Chartwell Marine on Wednesday announced the launch of its "market-first" offshore energy support vessel (OESV) with hydrofoils, in partnership with marine design & engineering consultancy, BAR Technologies (BAR Tech). Seacat Sceptre, built at the Diverse Marine yard in Cowes, Isle of Wight, for OESV operator, Seacat Services, will now undergo sea trials prior to its handover."Hydrofoils, re-popularized and matured as a technology in high-end yacht racing…

15 Jul 2021

Interview: Ben Reed, Managing Director, HamiltonJet

Ben Reed (Photo: HamiltonJet)

Ben Reed is a mechanical engineer from the U.K. now leading New Zealand-based waterjet manufacturer HamiltonJet as managing director.Raised in Shropshire, Reed graduated from Loughborough University of Technology in 1995 and later became a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering. He’s worked for a U.K. gas utility company developing natural-gas-powered engines; Ford Motor Company as a Systems Analyst, and 17 years for Caterpillar UK in diesel engine and transmission development for off-highway machinery and military products…

07 Apr 2021

How Racing Tech Will Set Up US Offshore Vessel Operators for Success

(Image: BAR Technologies)

It’s no secret that the U.S. offshore wind sector is finally about to burst into action after years of behind-the-scenes movement. With a new administration set to bolster the favorable political headwinds for the sector, establishing a strong domestic supply chain will be critical as the industry scales up.Offshore wind farm operators will need high-quality vessels ready to go, and crew transfer vessels (CTV) are vital when constructing and servicing new assets. Concurrently…

22 Feb 2021

HamiltonJet Launches Electro-Hybrid Drive (EHX) Demo Boat

(Photo: HamiltonJet)

Waterjet propulsion specialist HamiltonJet said its new Electro-Hybrid Drive (EHX) demonstrator boat is now in operation, having successfully passed its Maritime New Zealand Certificate of Survey.ARIA, a 15-meter aluminum hydrofoil-assisted catamaran, is fitted with HamiltonJet’s new Electro-Hybrid Drive (EHX) system unveiled last year. According to the manufacturer, the system offers all the advantages of electric drive with the full capabilities of diesel, namely lower CO2 emissions combined with the speed…

11 Jan 2021

Lloyd’s Register Names Members of Its Decarbonization Panel

© Lina / Adobe Stock

Classification society Lloyd’s Register (LR) announced the industry experts who have joined the advisory panel of its Maritime Decarbonization Hub, a dedicated center of excellence launched in October that aims to accelerate the safe, sustainable and cost-effective decarbonization of world shipping in support of delivering greenhouse gas reduction targets.The panel is made up of representatives from across the industry and includes Ole Graa Jakobsen, VP Head of Fleet Technology at AP Moller-Maersk…

17 Dec 2020

Gunvor Invests in Artemis to Build Zero-emissions Ferries

(Image: Artemis Technologies)

Energy trader Gunvor Group has bought a minority stake in Artemis Technologies to build high-speed ferries capable of carrying up to 350 passengers with zero emissions, the company said on Thursday.The new vessel, called the Artemis eFoiler, will produce savings of up to 90% on fuel compared with traditional diesel ferries. The British firm received a £33 million grant from the British government earlier this year.The hydrofoils will run on batteries recharged by renewable energy sources.

09 Dec 2020

Wallenius Bets on Wind-powered Cargo Ships

(Image: Wallenius Marine)

Two centuries after the first coal-powered steamships crossed the Atlantic Ocean, a Swedish company is designing a futuristic throwback: a huge, wind-driven cargo ship that could help end the fossil fuel era and limit climate change.Shipping accounted for 2.9% of man-made greenhouse gas in 2018, and the industry’s share of planet-heating emissions has been rising in recent years, according to the U.N.’s International Maritime Organization.One solution may be to turn the clock back to pre-industrial times and again hoist sails to carry cargo around the world.Sweden’s Wallenius Marine AB…

28 Aug 2020

Kitsap Transit Gets Fed Funds for High-Speed, Low-Emission Ferry Project

Illustration courtesy of Glosten

As the global maritime community collectively is slowly pushed toward decarbonization, it is generally agreed that there is no ‘silver bullet’ technical solution and that progress will come in steps, led by public/private collaboration and funding.A recent development following that script is the awarding this week of federal funds to a Washington State team working to accelerate ferry technology, with the joint innovation project selected for funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration.

20 Aug 2020

Washington State Partners Set Out to Build Fast Foil Ferry

(Image: Glosten)

A group of public and private partners in Washington have come together to accelerate the design of a fast foil ferry to provide zero-emissions, high-speed passenger ferry service in the Evergreen State.Participants in the Joint Innovation Project include three Washington ports that have joined forces to support the effort: Port of Anacortes, Port of Bellingham and Port of Skagit. The vessel is under design by Glosten, a naval architecture and marine engineering firm, and Bieker Boats, a performance marine craft designer.

11 Jun 2020

New Zealand to Allow Some Ships, Cruises Still Banned

© Colin & Linda McKie / Adobe Stock

New Zealand said on Friday that it would allow entry of some maritime vessels as it looks to open up its economy after lifting all coronavirus restrictions earlier this week.Cruise ships and people traveling for leisure, however, will continue to be banned from entering the country, the government said in a statement.New Zealand lifted all social and economic restrictions except border controls after declaring on Monday it was free of the coronavirus, one of the first countries in the world to return to pre-pandemic normality.It’s now looking to kick-start its economy that was battered by the

26 Jun 2020

Partners Aim to Build Zero-emissions Ferries in Belfast

(Image: Artemis Technologies)

A Belfast Maritime Consortium led by Artemis Technologies has won a £33 million ($41 million) U.K. government innovation grant to develop zero emissions ferries in Northern Ireland’s capital. With further investment from consortium partners, the total project investment will reach close to £60 million ($74.6 million) over the next four years, creating an initial 125 research and development jobs, and leading to more than 1,000 in the region over the next 10 years.The 13 partner syndicate—which is a mix of established and young companies…

20 Jul 2020

Supporting the Future of Greener Shipping

(Image: Cape Horn Engineering)

Environmental concerns are influencing a greater need for renewable and sustainable energy across the world with specialist technologies being at the forefront of new designs and solutions. As maritime industries begin to tackle the climate change issues, ports and shipping companies are looking for carbon-free alternatives by testing potential solutions for vessels. The requirement to make a move toward greener shipping is imminent. As companies start to concentrate their efforts in developing efficient solutions for improving performance and reducing emissions…