Im not sure if people remember, someone from this team did come on this forum recruiting big watt riders. Well this is the reason why. Feels like something from the matrix with pods producing power for someone else pleasure. I always though sails were hand operated. On that note, I do wonder how many watts the hand operated guys did
Seems to be avg 200w with spikes of over 1000
so to compare, i just quick googled that rowing and cyclist watts are almost similar, except rowing watts come about 30% from the arms. so to put it in perspective of cycling effort , 200w with just arms is a 650ish effort
Did you watch the video?
They aren’t using their arms
The 2021 America’s cup AC75’s had hand cyclors. Another racing series, SailGP also uses hand cyclors to power the hydraulics
We are talking about the video that’s posted on the first post. What are you talking about?
Australia has set the rules its legs not arms for the next Americas cup
the video made me think of the old school way
New Zealand has set the rules! Australia have lots of sailors in various teams but there isn’t an Aus based team in the cup.
Aussie trying to claim something else from the kiwis!?
The think the first cyclists were used in the 2013. NZ pulled a bit of a surprise on the other teams but they all caught up pretty quick.
Us Kiwis first used “cyclors” in the 2017 America’s Cup. They managed to keep it a massive secret until the AC50 was unveiled and instead of the traditional grinders there were the bikes mounted on either side of the catamaran.
On the Kiwi boat this time around there is Dougal Allan who is a top NZ multi-sport athlete. The VO2 max and power outputs of these guys are pretty incredible.
Like F1 teams, the America’s Cup has $$ to throw around to get some high wattage guys (ex. the former IP world champ). I’m wondering how long until they evolve their rigs to also recruit some arm power in the recumbent position (perhaps something similar to the “poles” on an elliptical…or the old Schwinn Aerodynes).
From what I’ve seen in the preliminary regatta, one tactic is for a more efficient boat to perform more maneuvers forcing the other boat to respond and eventually the cyclors aren’t able to keep up the necessary hydraulic pressure.
I saw that video and thought it was really interesting. I know next to nothing about competitive sailing so was surprised by this. I have to admit it struck me a bit like “cheating” although maybe more along the lines of draft versus no-draft cycling, in that I’d be more interested in following a sailing event without the cyclors than getting rid of events with cyclors.
Still reckon Hamish Bond is a better get for the NZ boat.
Just when his wife thought he’d retired he goes again.
Yes, Bond tested higher than Dougal in the initial selection round. I don’t know anything about how they’ve progressed once the squad was chosen.
@walie yes, forcing the number of manoeuvres is definitely a tactic. It was obvious in 2017 in Bermuda where ETNZ had so much more available thanks to legs vs arms. I’m sure the shore crews are analysing the exit angles from turns to model how much capacity the other teams have.