Designing a floating vessel is already a challenge because design and construction need to happen on land before the boat ever hits the water to be tested. Naturally, the process of tweaking and re-design happens as necessary, and eventually, you end up with a functional design that floats on water.  Joining us today is Max Starr from INEOS Team UK. His team has the exciting task of designing a yacht for this year’s America’s Cup, an international race scheduled to take place in New Zealand in March.  The America’s Cup has a unique twist. The winner gets to make up the rules for the following race. Those rules can be related to anything from design specs to process to a multitude of other restrictions. The challenge for 2021? No physical testing of the vessel. This is where the digital twin swoops in to save the day.  In this episode, Max goes in depth about the processes involved in designing a powerful, aerodynamic racing yacht. He describes the planning phase and the important role of digital software, particularly for this year's race. We’ll also get an insider's perspective on how a race of such magnitude is organized and executed, and how teams continually up the ante in order to stay competitive.  Some Questions I Ask: Could you give us a bit of background on the America’s Cup? (3:08)How many countries participate in the race? (6:35)What design features are you working on for the upcoming race? (10:06)Where does the design process start? (13:34)How useful is the digital twin throughout this process? (21:31)What kinds of prototyping technology are effective in building a boat of this scale? (26:11)Did the pandemic have any effect on the progress of your design and construction? (34:35) What You’ll Learn in this Episode: How Max ended up at INEOS (0:58)Who makes the rules for the race (4:39)Challenges presented as designs change for each race (7:44)One interesting challenge added to this year’s race (11:48)How the digital twin is used (15:13) The role of virtual reality in the design phase (23:46)Lessons learned once the boat finally hits the water (31:03) Connect with Max Starr: LinkedIn See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.