Altair Provides Behind-the-Scenes Look at the America's Cup with "Surface to Air"

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Jun 08, 2017, 11:02 ET

NEW YORK, June 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- With qualifying rounds of the 35^th America's Cup in full swing down in Bermuda, Altair, a cutting-edge engineering and design firm, is providing sailing fans and techies alike with "Surface to Air," a behind-the-scenes look at the technology, innovation and collaboration that goes into preparing to win the oldest and most coveted prize in competitive sailing.

Partnering with Sweden's Artemis Racing team, Altair assisted in the design and development of the daggerboard that instantly propels the boat from the surface of the water into the air. The story of this partnership is explored in the 12-minute film that dives into what's required to build one of the fastest sail boats to ever exist. "Surface to Air" is available now on Altair's website, www.designthedifference.com, as well as major Video on Demand platforms including Apple iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play among others.

With innovations in design and technology paving the way, essentially transforming sailboats into airplanes, the sport of sailing is becoming one of the fastest, most dangerous competitions on earth. Millimeter changes in design translate to knots of difference on the water, which is the difference between winning and losing, so Altair was excited to share their design simulation software and consult with Artemis Racing to help give the Swedish team a competitive advantage.

"I saw the America's Cup as high-profile race competition, but it is much more than that, it is a design competition pushing the limits of physics and engineering," said David Durocher, Engineering manager, Altair. "This is not traditional sailing; it is flying, they no longer have a sailing crew – they have pilots."

The film explores how technology is transforming sailing as well as the intriguing, and often perilous world of the America's Cup, and all that comes with its developments in boating – including competitors who are determined to spy and steal coveted engineering secrets along the way.

Qualifying rounds of the 35^th America's Cup continue through June 12^th with the America's Cup Match taking place June 17^th-18^th, and 24^th – 27^th.

About Artemis Racing
Artemis Racing is a professional sailing team challenging for the 35th America's Cup, representing Kungliga Svenska Segel Sällskapet (KSSS – the Royal Swedish Yacht Club), the fifth-oldest yacht club in the world. Founded in 2006 by Torbjörn Törnqvist and named after the Greek goddess Artemis, the team has won numerous competitions worldwide, including the MedCup and TP52 World Championships and the RC44 World Championship. Artemis Racing was the Challenger of Record for the 34th America's Cup. More information can be found at www.ArtemisRacing.com or @ArtemisRacing.

About Altair
Altair is focused on the development and broad application of simulation technology to synthesize and optimize designs, processes and decisions for improved business performance. Privately held with more than 2,600 employees, Altair is headquartered in Troy, Michigan, USA and operates more than 50 offices throughout 22 countries. Today, Altair serves more than 5,000 corporate clients across broad industry segments. To learn more, please visit www.altair.com.

SOURCE Altair