Mr Giles's solution to the drag problem is a sharp bow that cuts through waves up to 40 feet high, and a concave hull bottom.

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The bow dipped in the first few standing waves, which splashed over it.

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Spithill was at the helm of Oracle's first 72-foot catamaran in October when the twin hulls dug into the waves and the boat tumbled stern over bow.

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When news broke in December that construction had briefly halted on The Bow, the showpiece headquarters of EnCana, Canada's largest independent energy firm, it sent shock waves across Calgary.

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