America's Cup - What 's That?

While looking at photos of the AC72s ORACLE TEAM USA 17 stands out for one distinct reason, the “pod” that runs along the centerline under the trampoline. No other AC72 has such a feature, so we chased down ORACLE TEAM USA design team member Mario Caponnetto for a description

“The ‘pod’ is one of the aerodynamic devices we put in the boat. The aim is to reduce or to close the gap between the base of the wing and the water. This helps reduce the drag of the wing and improve efficiency. This is a sort of ‘ground effect.’ It also has a structural reason, as the cables of the spine are attached to the pod,” says Caponnetto.

Source; America's Cup Media