Joseph is in his third America’s Cup cycle, having joined ORACLE TEAM USA in 2004 prior to the 32nd Cup in Valencia. At that point Jo was fresh from ABN Amro Design Team that went on to win the Volvo Ocean Race. He was responsible for hydrodynamics and boat performance through the velocity prediction programs.
Joseph’s specialty is in aeronautical engineering and he studied at “SUPAERO”, the French engineering school of aeronautics and aerospace in Toulouse. He was the lead designer for the wing that powered USA 17 to victory in the 33rd Cup.
For the 34th Cup Joseph leads the wing design program, from the global concept and the aero design to the final link with the sailing team. He’s also in charge of developing and running the in-house tools to predict the performance of the yacht: velocity prediction programs (VPP’s), race modeling and dynamic race simulator.
“Rigid wings on sailing yachts are not so common and not very well understood yet by a wide part of the sailing community,” Joseph says. “A part of my role is to teach the sailors how to use it and explain to them how we design it. Funny how from time to time you end up teaching the best sailors in the world how to sail!”
While he enjoys sharing his knowledge with the sailors, the process of developing VPP’s is of particular interest to Jo.
“The VPP is a program that simulates the physics of the yacht to estimate numerically its performance,” says Joseph. “From design drawings and numerical experimentations, this program guides the design team through the multiple choices that need to be made throughout the design process.”
Career Highlights
2010
- 33rd America’s Cup, BMW Oracle Racing, winner
2007:
- Louis Vuitton Cup, BMW Oracle Racing, 4th place
2004:
- Volvo Ocean Race, ABN Amro Design Team
2001:
- Association with Michel Kermarec – Hydro/Aero/VPP on many projects especially with VPLP (ORMA, IMOCA, etc.)
2000:
- Start at Juan K office in Milan – Internship