BMT Nigel Gee to Support Ben Ainslie Racing’s America’s Cup Challenge
BMT Nigel Gee, a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, and a leading independent naval architecture and marine engineering design consultancy, has been announced as a supporting technical partner to Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR) and the founder member of the Ben Ainslie Racing Technical Innovation Group (TIG).
A skilled team member of BMT Nigel Gee has been seconded to assist BAR’s existing design team. The role is based within the BAR Design and Engineering team who will design, build and test the development and final boat that will challenge for the 35th America’s Cup.
“The America’s Cup – like Formula One – has to be a design race, as well as a race on the water,” noted Ben Ainslie, the team principal at Ben Ainslie Racing. “That has always been part of the Cup’s appeal and that is what attracts some of the world’s best engineers, who have shown a real passion for the design challenge of the America’s Cup.”
John Bonafoux, BMT Nigel Gee’s Managing Director comments: “BMT is delighted to be a part of what promises to be a very challenging and exciting journey. Sir Ben Ainslie’s desire to win is well known and he has assembled an impressive team that will mount a formidable challenge to bring the America’s Cup back to Britain for the first time in 166 years.”
Andy Claughton, Technical Director at Ben Ainslie Racing says: “We’re delighted to have BMT Nigel Gee on-board. The America’s Cup boats use cutting-edge technology and working with the best partners available will give us an edge over the competition. BMT’s position as preeminent naval architects with a history of developing innovative hull forms will provide us with valuable support.”
BMT Nigel Gee, along with other TIG partners, will provide world-class technology and innovation support to Ben Ainslie Racing’s America’s Cup campaign through the qualifying series and leading up to the Challenger Playoffs, which will be held in Bermuda in 2017. The TIG will complement and support the existing design team at Ben Ainslie Racing with an external, world-class, multidisciplinary research and development capability, chaired by PA Consulting Group, allowing the team to rapidly develop, prove and put new technologies into the field.
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Notes to Editors
BMT Nigel Gee
BMT Nigel Gee, based in Southampton, UK, is one of the world’s leading independent design consultancies offering a vast portfolio of services for advanced and specialised ships and boats, from initial concept to detailed design. With an established background in yachts, commercial, defence and windfarm vessels and an unrivalled scope of technical capability, the company utilises state of the art technology to provide innovative design and consultancy for an international client base.
Website: www.bmtng.com
BMT Group
BMT is an international design, engineering and risk management consultancy, working principally in the defence, energy and environment, marine risk and insurance, maritime transport and ports and logistics sectors.
BMT invests significantly in research. Its customers are served through a network of international subsidiary companies. The group’s assets are held in beneficial ownership for its staff.
Website: www.bmt.org
BAR Technical Innovation Group
BAR’s Technical Innovation Group (TIG) – powered by PA Consulting – will bring together British industry to contribute to the unique technical and sporting challenge of the America’s Cup. The task of the TIG is to find and apply new technologies and develop them to provide a race winning edge to the team. The TIG will complement the existing design team with an external, world-class, multidisciplinary research and development group. It will allow the team to rapidly develop, prove and put new technologies into the field.
For further information and images, please contact:
Liz Churchman or Stephen Hooley
BMT Press Office
c/o Emmett & Smith
Tel: +44 (0)20 7384 7110
E-mail: liz.churchman@emmettandsmith.com
stephen.hooley@emmettandsmith.com
