Driven by the Latest Wind Technology, Oracle BMW Wins First Race of America’s Cup

As America’s Cup takes place in Valencia, Spain, who will finally win is one of the major questions. Will it be the defender of the cup, a catamaran named Alinghi 5, or the challenger, a trimaran named BMW Oracle USA 17?

The answer will depend on a number of variables. Chance and luck will play a part, as will the sailing skills of the crew. However, an overriding factor will be wind technology. And that’s because, today, wind technology makes catching the wind easier than ever.

This year’s race, more then ever, is considered more a technology race than a sailing race. And that’s not only because these yachts are equipped with a myriad of the latest electronic devices, but also because they were designed with the latest computer aided engineering technology, and built with the latest, most durable and lightweight materials.

And it is this technology that gives the BMW Oracle USA 17 the ability to manage a main sail that covers an area of 630 square meters, a mast towering upward of 60 meters, and a massive wing. Constructed from carbon fibers, the yacht is benchmarked to sail at speeds over two and a half times true wind speed. And that speed was made good in the first race of America’s Cup. With winds between 6 and 8 knots, USA17 won the first race against the Alinghi 5 with windmark velocities of 13.5 knots and 19 knots.

Although the USA 17 won the first race, there were plenty of people who thought the boat would never fly or would even fall apart in the water. One of the reasons is its gigantic wing design. Much bigger than the largest airplane wings, the design had never been tested on the seas. But it worked out, the USA 17 caught the wind when it needed to and won the race solidly.

Whether the wing helped or hindered the USA 17’s racing time is still an open question. Some speculate the wing was more of a hindrance than help. However, others are wondering, especially those at Catch the Wind Inc. (Manassas, Virginia, TSX-V: CTW.S) if the deciding factor was the laser wind sensor that the USA 17 crew used.

Called the Racer’s Edge, this wind sensor supplied precise wind information to the crew well in advance of the wind. With the devices wind information displays, the crew was able to see wind gusts coming down from 1000 meters away, letting them prepare the sails for every invaluable gust of wind.

The Racer’s Edge, from Catch the Wind, is based on Doppler radar concepts and patented fiber optic technology from Optical Air Data Systems LLC (Manassas, Virginia). The device allows you to view the direction and magnitude of a multitude of incoming wind vectors in real time 3D. This data, either processed with advanced software or simply viewed, is then used to optimally position sails and wind turbines. All of which result in not only more efficient sailboats and wind turbines, but also in sail boats and wind turbines that are more stable and ultimately under less wind stress and strain.

And this means that this technology will not only give the BMW Oracle the edge in almost any sailboat race, but will also mark a new era in sailboat performance. Already, sailboats move quicker than motorboats in high wind conditions. And with this technology, sailboats will give motorboats a run for their money at even lower wind speeds.

Furthermore, as an extra bonus to green boaters, the new technology means that boaters will be able to have more electric power with less wind and lighter wind turbines.

But just how much faster will the Racer’s Edge let a sailboat move and how much more power will it let a wind generator make? A lot of that answer depends on the control software used. However, Catch the Wind indicates that its laser wind sensor has been found to improve wind turbine efficiency significantly. Initial tests have shown that the wind sensor improves wind turbine generation efficiency in the order of 12 to 18 percent.