Recently I was sent several videos of the amazing technology of the Americas Cup AC 72 boats.

I have arranged the videos below with a short description of each video so you can watch the ones you want.

I hope you enjoy the videos as much as I did.  The technology is amazing.  25,000 man hours to build one of the wing sails, boats under sail that fly above the water both upwind and down wind.

A Short Intro to the AC 72 Boats

Some of the Cutting Edge Technology used on the AC 72 Boats

Not your dad’s AC Boats for sure

A special forum presentation on the Technology sports on TV and how it evolved into today’s sports graphics, and the amazing TV graphics seen in the video coverage of the Americas Cup.  The speakers also cover the technology used on the boats, the challenges of sailing the boats.  The boats have about 50 computers and 400 sensors on them.

The video is long but not a dull moment in it.

Presented by the Computer History Museum in San Francisco.

Apparent Wind

The shift in the apparent wind on boats this fast is just incredible, like ice boats, the apparent wind is always forward.

The boats sail upwind between 10 and 14 degrees apparent wind angle.

VMG

Velocity Made Good –

Wing Technology

Amazing, 260 square meters (2,798 Ft. Sq) in area, 40 meters (131 ft) tall, about 25,000 man hours to build.

Testing a new wing for Oracle Team USA

They set the 40 meter high wing on the boat, then lift the boat and wing from the top of the wing with a crane to launch the boat.

A bit on trimming a wing sail vs. a traditional sail

Foils

An intro to Ac 72 foils and how the foils are adjusted to make the AC 72 boats lift out of the water.

Intro to the design and trimming of the dagger-board foils

Some foil history and performance comparisons

A nice overview on how foils make a boat fly by Nathan Outteridge foiling  using his Moth to demonstrate the control of the foils.

Defining the 34th Americas Cup:It’s the foils & the boats flying with the hulls out of the water.

The Rudder Foils

Trimming and adjusting the Rudder Foils and how they affect boat trim.

Sports Media Tech

How the whiz bang graphics work and the challenge to get it all to work and the extra lines that show the boundaries of the course.

Trends in the media technology

A special thanks to Mike Sinclair for sending me the videos.

– c/m –