Marine Sensing For Elite Performance

Will Bakewell Land Rover BAR The ’s Cup

Contested for 166 years, it is the oldest international sporting trophy in the world

Most prestigious sailing contest, pinnacle of sailing technology

Moved to foiling multihulls during last cup cycle

35th America’s Cup was contested in Bermuda this summer, won by New Zealand

Six contestants: USA, GB, France, Sweden, New Zealand and Japan

36th America’s Cup to be contested in 75ft Monohulls AC50 Class

50 foot foiling with 23.7m “wing sail”

Overall dimensions specified in class rule

Technical – design, control systems, wing structure, aerodynamics

“Flying surfaces” were hydraulically actuated with power from 4 of the 6 crew

Capable of speeds up to 85 km/h

Sensing restrictions

No measurements more than 1m from device

Restrictions on how sensor data could be used – “manual input” “Flight” control surfaces

Traditional sailing sensor setup

Goal to provide sailors with as much information as they need for optimum trim

Wing-top and bow wind wands

Hydrins IMU

Very little tidal flow in Bermuda’s Great Sound (relative to Solent…)

Also developed “training tools”

Compromised data collection platform

Autopilot

Built a boat state estimator based on data fusion of:

Ride height sensors

Hydrins IMU (from ixBlue)

GPS

But rules placed emphasis on manual inputs

The importance of HMI (human machine interface) was paramount

AC36

Protocol already released

AC36 match in early 2021

Restrictive meteorological sensing clauses

No tank or wind tunnel testing

AC36 “Concept” to be shown to shown mid-November, and full class rule by end March 2018 Any Questions?