Bermuda

The New Era of Competitive Espionage In the high-stakes world of elite team sports, information is the most valuable currency. For decades, the America's Cup was defined by a shadow war where teams spent millions of dollars on private spying operations, chasing rival boats in high-speed ribs to capture every flick of a rudder or curve of a wing. Ray Davies, a veteran of Emirates Team New Zealand, explains that the landscape has fundamentally shifted. The 37th edition of the Cup has moved away from the chaotic "Wild West" of private reconnaissance toward a formalized, joint program. This isn't just a cost-saving measure; it is a strategic restructuring that changes how teams develop technology and prepare for battle. From Shadowing to Standardization The previous model was unsustainable. Ray Davies recalls the absurdity of three different recon teams following a single boat in Auckland, creating massive fuel burns and safety hazards. In response, Dan Bernasconi proposed a joint recon program where a centralized pool of data is shared among all competitors. Now, teams no longer choose their own spies; the opposition decides who will watch them. This transparency is jarring for organizations used to extreme secrecy. There are now people from outside the inner circle standing on the forecourt as boats roll out, documenting every modification. The Operational Workflow The logistics of this new system are rigorous. Each team provides a chase boat for the recon crew, which includes a photographer and an observer. These individuals aren't just taking pretty pictures; they are following a specific manifest of interests. Teams use shared spreadsheets to request specific angles or components they want to see from their rivals. If a competitor rolls out a new elevator or flap, it must be declared. This formal process ensures that while the "cat is out of the bag" earlier than in previous cycles, the data is structured, high-quality, and accessible to every design department in the competition. Analyzing the Firehose of Data The challenge has shifted from *obtaining* data to *filtering* it. With every team being tracked daily, the volume of footage, metadata, and technical specs is staggering. Ray Davies warns that this can easily become a distraction. If a team spends too much time reacting to what they see in a rival's cockpit, they risk losing their own development trajectory. At Emirates Team New Zealand, the strategy is to distribute the workload. The rig specialists pore over mast photos, while appendage designers focus on foil geometry. It’s about maintaining a disciplined focus on your own game plan while keeping a watchful eye on the field's evolution. The Strategic Pivot: Barcelona and Beyond Strategy in the current cycle is heavily influenced by the move to Barcelona. Unlike the relatively flat waters of previous venues, Barcelona presents a significant sea state. Recon teams are currently obsessed with hull designs and how boats handle waves. Ray Davies points out that form stability and the ability to take off in a displacement mode amidst waves are the new frontiers. The recon data allows teams to see exactly how rivals are coping with these conditions—how long their rudders are, and how they manage the drag during takeoff. This real-time feedback loop accelerates the entire fleet's learning curve, potentially narrowing the performance gap between the top and bottom teams. Efficiency and the Human Element Technology has not only changed the spying game but the training game as well. The introduction of the AC40 class, powered by batteries rather than human "grinders," has revolutionized time on water. In previous years, training sessions were limited by battery life and human fatigue. Today, teams can execute 85 maneuvers in a single session without a single stop. This efficiency means that the recon footage captured is richer than ever, showing more maneuvers, more transitions, and more data points. The Outlook for the 37th America's Cup As we approach the competition, the joint recon program will continue to act as a leveling force. While it makes it harder to hide a "silver bullet" like the cyclors used in Bermuda, it elevates the overall quality of the racing. We are seeing a convergence in design where the boats look more similar than ever. This shifts the focus back to the sailors. When the technical margins are razor-thin, the victory goes to the team with the best execution, the sharpest tactics, and the mental resilience to handle the pressure of Barcelona. The intelligence war is no longer about who has the most spies; it's about who has the best analysts.

Redefining the Wing: From America’s Cup to SailGP Victory in high-performance sailing is no longer just about reading the wind; it is about mastering the complex interplay between modular engineering and high-speed execution. Paul%20Campbell-James, a veteran wing trimmer now with United%20States%20SailGP%20Team, highlights how the transition from the America%27s%20Cup AC50 to the SailGP F50 has necessitated a total overhaul of wing sail technology. In the previous era, wings were governed by strict mechanical rules that forbade hydraulic automation. Today, those constraints are gone. The new modular wings are designed to operate across a massive wind range, from light-air 29-meter configurations to the high-wind 18-meter setups seen in Bermuda. This shift represents a move from "one-size-fits-all" boat design to a specialized, adaptable weapon that can be tuned for specific venues. The Hydraulic Revolution in Wing Trimming The fundamental mechanics of how these boats harness power have changed. Under the old AC50 rule, trimmers relied on a cumbersome "seesaw" or "boomerang" system of cables and pulleys. To change camber, a trimmer had to manually hold a button until the desired angle was reached. The new F50 wing replaces this with independent hydraulic rams for each flap. Each level of the wing is now controlled by a triangle-shaped push-pull ram. This independent control allows for "negative camber" at the top of the wing. In a standard soft sail, the top might flutter or flatten, but it rarely pushes back. In SailGP, trimmers can force the top of the wing to push in the opposite direction of the bottom. This moves the center of effort down, reducing the healing moment and allowing the boat to stay on its foils longer without capsizing. By achieving up to 60 degrees of twist—nearly double the 35 degrees possible on older wings—teams can maintain stability in gusts that would have previously forced them to decelerate. Shifting Crew Dynamics and Physicality Perhaps the most surprising implication of this technical evolution is the changing role of the athletes on board. The new wing design features a shortened chord, which significantly reduces the load on the wing sheet. Because the hydraulics handle the heavy lifting of the twist and camber, the physical demand on the grinders has plummeted. Paul%20Campbell-James notes that during testing, he was able to complete full laps without touching down while sailing with only three crew members and zero grinding power. This efficiency allows for strategic reallocation of human capital. While teams like Great%20Britain%20SailGP%20Team traditionally utilized massive power-focused grinders, the United%20States%20SailGP%20Team has pivoted. They now utilize a forward-facing grinder as a dedicated tactician. By reducing the physical toll of trimming, the sport is opening doors for smaller, more agile athletes and female competitors to take on roles that were once defined purely by raw strength. The High-Speed Penalty: Stability and Capsizes Innovation carries risk. The reduced sheet load that makes the boat easier to handle also introduces a dangerous phenomenon: the

The Transformation of a Discipline Victory in the America's Cup is no longer solely a battle of naval architecture; it is a relentless test of physiological endurance and mechanical coordination. Veteran grinder Freddie Carr provides a masterclass in how the role of the 'human engine' has shifted from manual winch coordination to high-stakes hydraulic energy management. Over five campaigns, Carr has witnessed the sport move from the heavy, slow-displacement IACC monohulls to the terrifyingly fast, foiling AC75. This evolution mirrors a broader trend in elite sports: the synthesis of extreme human performance with cutting-edge aerospace technology. In the early 2000s, the grinding unit was a symphony of eight men. Their job was pure coordination. They managed six-to-eight speed winches, manually hauling miles of rope to raise sails and trim massive loads. If the timing was off by a fraction of a second, the maneuver failed. Today, the ropes are largely gone, replaced by hydraulic oil and accumulators. The physical demand has peaked while the margin for error has vanished. The grinder is no longer just a 'strongman'; they are a vital component of the boat’s drivetrain, responsible for generating the literal lifeblood of the vessel’s flight control systems. From Winch Coordination to Hydraulic Mastery The 2013 San Francisco Cup was the flashpoint. The AC72 catamarans introduced foiling to the mainstream, forcing grinders to transition from rope-handlers to oil-movers. Carr recalls the Luna Rossa campaign as a period of raw discovery. Early in that cycle, the teams were still winding daggerboards up and down using winches and purchases. The sheer width of the boats—14 meters—meant that power loss through the drivetrain was a constant threat. If you missed a board extension during a jibe, you spent the next 45 seconds manually winding the boat back onto its foil. It was inefficient, brutal, and ripe for a revolution. By the time the fleet reached Bermuda in 2017 with the AC50, the game had become entirely hydraulic. This era defined the 'max heart rate' race. A 25-minute sprint demanded that every grinder operate at their absolute limit to keep accumulators full. On Land Rover BAR, the team moved to a completely hydraulic platform immediately. The power demands were so extreme that missing a single rotation could mean the wing trimmer didn't have enough pressure to adjust the traveler, or the helmsman couldn't adjust the rake. The athlete’s role became a desperate fight against drowning in their own exhaustion, knowing that any mismanagement of energy would lead to a catastrophic loss of flight. The INEOS Drivetrain: Redefining Efficiency For the 36th America's Cup, INEOS Team UK took a radical approach to power production. While competitors like Emirates Team New Zealand had previously innovated with 'cyclors' (leg-powered grinders), the AC75 rule mandated arm-power. To gain an edge, Carr and the engineering team at Mercedes-AMG F1 looked at the physics of the human body. They discovered that grinding forward is 15% more powerful than grinding backward. Traditional pedestals require one man to grind forward and his partner to grind backward, creating massive inefficiencies. INEOS engineered a proprietary drivetrain that allowed all grinders to push forward 100% of the time. This system incorporated a six-speed winch that shifted gears without requiring the 'shake' of a handle to reverse direction. By keeping every athlete in their most powerful ergonomic position, the team unlocked 17% to 20% more power compared to standard setups. This wasn't just about raw wattage; it was about freeing up tactical minds. By producing more power with fewer men, the team could offload cognitive tasks—like monitoring flight data and tactical apps—to the grinders, allowing the helmsman and trimmers to focus purely on the speed loop and match racing. The Psychology of the Threshold Operating at Functional Threshold Power (FTP) for 25 minutes changes how a human processes information. Carr emphasizes that when an athlete is in the 'last 20%' of their heart rate—typically north of 160 BPM—cognitive capacity collapses. You cannot multitask. If you try to do two things, you fail at both. The INEOS strategy was to give each grinder one simple, vital task to perform alongside their physical output. This might be managing a specific hydraulic pressure bar or monitoring a tactical offset. By simplifying the interface—using large, easy-to-read displays similar to a Garmin bike computer—the team ensured that even in peak physical distress, the grinders could contribute to the boat’s intelligence. This integration of 'grinders as sailors' represents the future of the sport. They are no longer isolated in a trench; they are data-driven participants in the boat's flight. The camaraderie between the port and starboard pods, despite being physically separated by the massive AC75 hull, remains the glue that holds the campaign together. They are the unseen heroes, the literal power plant that allows the pilots to dance on the foils. The Future of High-Performance Sailing The America's Cup has reached a point where human output is the limiting factor in boat design. The AC75 class has proven that foiling at 50 knots is not just possible, but provides the close, stadium-style racing that attracts global sports fans. Carr remains a staunch advocate for maintaining this class through multiple cycles. Stability in the rules allows teams to refine these complex drivetrains and move past the 'discovery' phase into true optimization. As the sport looks toward the next match, the 'trickle-down' effect of these innovations will likely reach the wider sailing world. The forward-only grinding systems and hyper-efficient hydraulic management developed by Nigel Rosewall and Graham Spence have applications in TP52 and Maxi racing. The America's Cup continues to serve as the ultimate laboratory for human-machine synergy. For veterans like Carr, the journey from the wooden decks of Cowes to the carbon-fiber cockpits of Auckland is a testament to the relentless pursuit of speed. The boat may change, but the requirement for grit, coordination, and raw power remains the fundamental core of victory.