Since 1994, HDS is a major player in the design of complex composite parts, especially
for racing sailing yachts [1]. In this paper, we
suggest to present our approach in the design and finite-element modelling of the rigid
wing-sail of the trimaran that won the 33rd America’s Cup, held in February 2010. From the
decision to design the wing-sail to the assembly on the maxi trimaran, we will present the
different steps of design and computation: principles and assessment of the aerodynamic
loads, structural design and modelling with tools adapted to each problem, mass
optimization. Then, we will detail some of the numerical problems that we faced in this
project.