Case Study: New York Yacht Club achieves faster, lighter AC75 design and rapid simulation workflows with Altair

Altair CFD and Structural Analysis Takes Center Stage in the 37th America’s Cup

The New York Yacht Club’s American Magic team faced the challenge of designing a single highly specialized AC75 hydrofoil racing yacht within tight component and testing limits—no full-scale wind or water tunnel testing and strict development rules—so they turned to Altair for advanced structural analysis and CFD capabilities to maximize speed, reduce weight, and ensure durability.

Altair deployed its HyperWorks and HPCWorks platforms (including Altair HyperWorks, AcuSolve, HyperMesh, OptiStruct, Radioss, Altair Unlimited Virtual Appliance and PBS Professional) to deliver integrated structural optimization, composite analysis, and high‑fidelity aerodynamics with scalable HPC. Altair’s tools let the team run up to seven models in parallel and about 30 models per day (~5,000 node‑hours/month), improving sail‑to‑hull interactions, airflow and crew placement, accelerating iterations, reducing manpower and development time, and yielding a refined design over their 36th‑Cup yacht.

New York Yacht Club

Andrew Bloxom

CFD Engineer