The America's Cup is the oldest trophy in international sports. First organized by Britain's Royal Yacht Squadron, the competition began as a single race around the Isle of Wight, open to yachts of all nations. After leaving the UK in 1851, the trophy never returned to its country of origin. In the 35th event, Oracle Team USA will defend the title in a race of AC62 catamarans on a circuit off Bermuda. One of the challengers is Land Rover Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR), a team of experienced sailors, designers and technicians who aim to bring the trophy "back home" to the UK.

In the middle of 2014 Land Rover BAR began a 2 ½ -year plan to design, evaluate and verify an America's Cup Class (ACC) catamaran. The biggest challenge the team is facing: To design a catamaran that can win the 35th America's Cup given the fact that the teams are not allowed to launch their ACC catamaran until 150 days before the first event of the 2017 America's Cup qualifiers.

Siemens is Land Rover BAR's "digital backbone" for the team's entire boat development project. Siemens Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) Software is used in a high-tech, cutting-edge marine environment. Using PLM, the design team of Land Rover BAR can simulate a range of geometries, analyze and test them, and find the right balance in terms of the demands of speed and stability. Siemens PLM NX enables the team to test a hundred geometries at the touch of a button. Using Siemens PLM Software Teamcenter, the team is able to save huge time for documentation. The rules of the America's Cup require participants to document the history of every component in terms of its constituent materials, their origin and manufacture. Teamcenter now generates this documentation digitally.