Uploaded August 2022 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Martin Fischer from Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli explains how modeFRONTIER supported the design of the AC75 foiling monohull for the 36th America’s Cup. In this podcast interview, he describes how the team used modeFRONTIER to optimize takeoff sequences, define hull optimization cost functions, explore wide design spaces, manage multi-fidelity workflows, and account for physical uncertainties in hull and foil design. The outcome is a faster and more systematic engineering process that helped the team discover unexpected high-performance shapes, improve sailing techniques, and make the most of a limited America’s Cup design timeline.
*Engineering domain:*
America’s Cup yacht design, marine engineering, foiling monohull design, hull optimization, foil optimization, aerodynamic and hydrodynamic simulation, and multidisciplinary design optimization.
*Type of problem:*
The 36th America’s Cup introduced the AC75 foiling monohull, a new boat class with limited existing design experience. Luna Rossa needed to understand takeoff behavior, optimize hull and foil shapes, explore uncertain input conditions, balance aero-hydrodynamic constraints, and use its limited campaign time to search the widest possible design space.
*Tools and solvers involved:*
- modeFRONTIER
- Luna Rossa simulator
- Takeoff sequence optimization workflows
- Hull optimization workflows
- Foil design optimization workflows
- Multi-fidelity optimization workflows
- Numerical optimization algorithms
- Design space exploration workflows
*Key concepts covered:*
- Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
- 36th America’s Cup
- AC75 foiling monohull
- modeFRONTIER
- Multidisciplinary design optimization
- Multi-fidelity optimization
- Hull design
- Hull shape optimization
- Foil design
- Foil shape optimization
- Takeoff sequence optimization
- Cost function definition
- Wide design space exploration
- Design space refinement
- Aerodynamic constraints
- Hydrodynamic constraints
- Physical uncertainty
- Input parameter variation
- Local minima
- Global minima
- Numerical optimization
- Sailing technique optimization
- Performance improvement
- Time savings
- Competitive sailing engineering
*Chapters:*
0:00 – Introduction to Luna Rossa’s AC75 optimization story
0:05 – What new engineering challenges did the AC75 foiling monohull introduce?
0:19 – How did modeFRONTIER help in the preliminary design phase?
0:44 – Building a takeoff sequence controlled by modeFRONTIER
1:02 – Defining a cost function for hull takeoff quality
1:10 – Running hull optimization with modeFRONTIER
1:18 – Exploring a wide design space with limited prior experience
1:35 – How do you balance aero-hydrodynamics using multi-fidelity optimization?
1:48 – Why modeFRONTIER made the preliminary hull search practical
2:04 – Discovering an unexpected hull shape through optimization
2:27 – How did the team use multi-fidelity and multidisciplinary optimization?
2:51 – Varying input parameters for hull and foil design studies
3:09 – Accounting for uncertainty in boat speed and load assumptions
3:35 – How uncertainty studies improved confidence in optimized shapes
3:51 – Avoiding narrow local minima in the optimization process
4:14 – What time savings did modeFRONTIER provide during the campaign?
4:31 – Optimizing hull shapes, foil shapes, and sailing techniques
4:47 – Exploring a wider design space within the same time frame
5:04 – Why time and performance are closely linked in America’s Cup design
5:20 – How wider design exploration helps create a faster boat
5:37 – Making the most of the available campaign timeline
*Related ESTECO resources:*
- modeFRONTIER product page: engineering.esteco.com/modefrontier
- Design optimization technology: engineering.esteco.com/technology/design-optimization
- Design of Experiments technology: engineering.esteco.com/technology/design-of-experiments
- Response Surface Methodology technology: engineering.esteco.com/technology/response-surface-methodology
- Simulation process integration and automation: engineering.esteco.com/technology/simulation-process-integration-automation
- HPC and cloud: engineering.esteco.com/technology/high-performance-computing-cloud
#AC75 #modeFRONTIER #AmericasCup #DesignOptimization
Martin Fischer from Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli explains how modeFRONTIER supported the design of the AC75 foiling monohull for the 36th America’s Cup. In this podcast interview, he describes how the team used modeFRONTIER to optimize takeoff sequences, define hull optimization cost functions, explore wide design spaces, manage multi-fidelity workflows, and account for physical uncertainties in hull and foil design. The outcome is a faster and more systematic engineering process that helped the team discover unexpected high-performance shapes, improve sailing techniques, and make the most of a limited America’s Cup design timeline.
*Engineering domain:*
America’s Cup yacht design, marine engineering, foiling monohull design, hull optimization, foil optimization, aerodynamic and hydrodynamic simulation, and multidisciplinary design optimization.
*Type of problem:*
The 36th America’s Cup introduced the AC75 foiling monohull, a new boat class with limited existing design experience. Luna Rossa needed to understand takeoff behavior, optimize hull and foil shapes, explore uncertain input conditions, balance aero-hydrodynamic constraints, and use its limited campaign time to search the widest possible design space.
*Tools and solvers involved:*
- modeFRONTIER
- Luna Rossa simulator
- Takeoff sequence optimization workflows
- Hull optimization workflows
- Foil design optimization workflows
- Multi-fidelity optimization workflows
- Numerical optimization algorithms
- Design space exploration workflows
*Key concepts covered:*
- Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
- 36th America’s Cup
- AC75 foiling monohull
- modeFRONTIER
- Multidisciplinary design optimization
- Multi-fidelity optimization
- Hull design
- Hull shape optimization
- Foil design
- Foil shape optimization
- Takeoff sequence optimization
- Cost function definition
- Wide design space exploration
- Design space refinement
- Aerodynamic constraints
- Hydrodynamic constraints
- Physical uncertainty
- Input parameter variation
- Local minima
- Global minima
- Numerical optimization
- Sailing technique optimization
- Performance improvement
- Time savings
- Competitive sailing engineering
*Chapters:*
0:00 – Introduction to Luna Rossa’s AC75 optimization story
0:05 – What new engineering challenges did the AC75 foiling monohull introduce?
0:19 – How did modeFRONTIER help in the preliminary design phase?
0:44 – Building a takeoff sequence controlled by modeFRONTIER
1:02 – Defining a cost function for hull takeoff quality
1:10 – Running hull optimization with modeFRONTIER
1:18 – Exploring a wide design space with limited prior experience
1:35 – How do you balance aero-hydrodynamics using multi-fidelity optimization?
1:48 – Why modeFRONTIER made the preliminary hull search practical
2:04 – Discovering an unexpected hull shape through optimization
2:27 – How did the team use multi-fidelity and multidisciplinary optimization?
2:51 – Varying input parameters for hull and foil design studies
3:09 – Accounting for uncertainty in boat speed and load assumptions
3:35 – How uncertainty studies improved confidence in optimized shapes
3:51 – Avoiding narrow local minima in the optimization process
4:14 – What time savings did modeFRONTIER provide during the campaign?
4:31 – Optimizing hull shapes, foil shapes, and sailing techniques
4:47 – Exploring a wider design space within the same time frame
5:04 – Why time and performance are closely linked in America’s Cup design
5:20 – How wider design exploration helps create a faster boat
5:37 – Making the most of the available campaign timeline
*Related ESTECO resources:*
- modeFRONTIER product page: engineering.esteco.com/modefrontier
- Design optimization technology: engineering.esteco.com/technology/design-optimization
- Design of Experiments technology: engineering.esteco.com/technology/design-of-experiments
- Response Surface Methodology technology: engineering.esteco.com/technology/response-surface-methodology
- Simulation process integration and automation: engineering.esteco.com/technology/simulation-process-integration-automation
- HPC and cloud: engineering.esteco.com/technology/high-performance-computing-cloud
#AC75 #modeFRONTIER #AmericasCup #DesignOptimization
