Matt Sheahan takes a look at some of the things the casual observer might not have noticed during the 37th America’s Cup last yearDefenders Emirates Team New Zealand looking strong on Day 3 of the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta. Ricardo Pinto \/ America’s CupWhat the eye couldn\u2019t see was a big topic of conversation in Barcelona during the America\u2019s Cup. With crews huddled down below the sheerline inside their individual cockpits, the only sign there were humans aboard was the tops of a few helmets.
\nIn the images from the onboard cameras facing back at the largely expressionless helmsmen and flight controllers, we could only see below their goggles. Rarely did their facial features give anything away. Indeed, they frequently looked more like they were waiting for a bus rather than handling the fastest and most advanced sailing yachts in the world.
\nEven when we could see a cyclor putting in a herculean effort to provide power to keep the beast blasting along, the image did little to take us into their world of pain. It looked more like they were riding an exercise bike in the shower. So, despite this being the most extreme and technologically advanced America\u2019s Cup to date it was the most difficult to relate to.
\nBut there was one area that was quite the opposite. Seeing the invisible was now possible, at least for spectators who could now visualise what the sailors couldn\u2019t: the wind.
\nProviding a live, visual map of the breeze as it flowed across the course brought the race track alive. Using a sophisticated LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) array that was beamed out across the course from three transmitters on the shore, CapGemini\u2019s WindSight IQ technology revealed gusts and lulls across the entire course in real time.
\nThe Emirates Team New Zealand sailing team congratulate each other. Photo: Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nIn simple terms, the colour map of the breeze replicated what you might see with your naked eye from above if you were looking for the darker and lighter patches on the water. But when the breeze was below 10 knots seeing this level of detail was hard if not impossible. And even if you were on the water, spotting the difference in pressure across the course was not possible for most.
\n\u201cWhen we started discussions with America\u2019s Cup about sponsorship we wanted to bring some technology to the event and we asked what kind of issues they had,\u201d explained WindSight IQ\u2019s chief engineer Keith Williams.
\n\u201cAnd the one that team CEO Grant Dalton mentioned straightaway was that he wanted to make the wind visible in the broadcast. The idea was to make the experience more understandable for spectators, so when a boat went left or right, the commentators could explain more easily why the skipper had made that particular decision.
\n\u201cThis had never been done before. Emirates Team New Zealand gave us the results of some initial work they\u2019d carried out with University of Canterbury in New Zealand and we started from there.
\n\u201cWe use long range meteorological LiDARs \u2013 essentially laser beams that reflect back off objects \u2013 to allow you to measure distance and speed. In this case the LiDARs are emitting 10,000 beams\/second which are reflecting back from particles that are present in the air at a range of 6-12km. The LiDARs we used are typically used for wind turbine planning where they\u2019ll run for months to collect wind data over a large area.
\n\u201cThe system then works on a combination of measurement and prediction. The racecourse is divided into just under a quarter of a million cells and each of those cells is either doing a forecast of what the wind\u2019s going to do, or it has received a measurement. So, where a cell has not received a LiDAR measurement we do a prediction.\u201d
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From here the detail of how the system operates gets complex, especially when it comes to accounting for the different types and quantities of particles in the air. For example, a rain shower flushes out these particles making it harder to get good measurements.
\nBut the reality was that throughout the Cup viewers had never seen a race course in such detail. When I was first shown the system I wondered whether it would be counterproductive and highlight how wrong teams were getting it. There\u2019s no doubt the start line, layline and ladder line graphics now common on America\u2019s Cup and Sail GP broadcasts have made us all armchair experts. Surely this threatened to exacerbate this?
\nBut instead, the most fascinating thing about WindSight IQ was that it frequently did the opposite and showed us just how good these crews are.
\nThe technology frequently showed us what sailors \u2013 travelling at 40 knots, insulated from the elements with a helmet and goggles and only seeing one side of the race track at a time \u2013 could indeed pick out with their naked eyes.
\nI\u2019ve tried identifying the true wind speed and direction while riding my motorbike along the seafront and I remain in awe as to how they do it. Seeing 1-2 knots more breeze on the other side of the course while riding a runaway bus is a phenomenal skill.<\/p>\n
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Matt Sheahan takes a look at some of the things the casual observer might not have noticed during the 37th America’s Cup last yearDefenders Emirates Team New Zealand looking strong on Day 3 of the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta. Ricardo … <\/p>\n