Editorial Andrew Hurst Drawing the line
I cannot be the only person thinking about the elephant in the room as today’s spectacular America’s Cup yachts – the mules and their full size sisters – become increasingly automated. Starting with Oracle’s AC72 raceboat in 2013,
different degrees of feedback loops have been creeping into the control systems of foiling Cup
yachts. From following a dot on an iPad to maintain level flight (Team New Zealand 2017) to joystick and push-button control of an AC40, development is only going one way. Technically this area of advancement is fascinating; but when
I sat down with an expert in the field of radio-controlled competition aircraft it was explained to me how small a step it is from the AC40 to a 40ft foiling drone. Indeed, take a fresh look at the history of the Saildrone, invented
by Richard Jenkins – sometime Seahorse contributor and native of this parish and now a regular on the Silicon valley dinner circuit. You will quickly see that such systems have been roaming the oceans for years now while returning reams of real-time data for both environmental and now military purposes. When the Iranian Navy recently tried to kidnap a Saildrone it was less than 12 hours before a US Navy ship was despatched to get it back. Back in Bermuda in 2017, the America’s Cup teams regularly switched to automatic flight control during testing to allow them to
focus on other areas. In the latest Rhum Jérémie Beyou successfully employed an early-stage automatic flight system on Charal – albeit compromised by the constraints of the Imoca rule. In the case of the AC40s, it will only take a few more actuators
and a reworking of the PLC and valve controls to enable the boats to be safely sailed from a chase boat… or indeed with the help of a Hugo Boss2020-style CCTV installation from a Starbucks ashore. It’s a tough one to address and the big picture is easily lost amid
the enthusiasm of the scientists and engineers on the ground. Similar arguments raged for years in Formula 1 before most of
duty of care. Even the big daddy of them all – the Fastnet – was postponed for 25 hours in 2007. Sponsors too are rarely pleased when their ‘investment’ limps back to port after 24 hours at sea. Nerves were first jangling following the St Tropez tragedy in 1995
that spelled the end of the original Nioulargue, following the loss of a 6 Metre skipper – not in violent conditions but after being run down by a much larger classic yacht. Nevertheless the French courts later handed down suspended prison sentences to the race organisers and nothing would ever be the same again. More topically, the 1986 Route du Rhum started on time into
appalling conditions… with numerous retirements in the first 24 hours – including Tony Bullimore’s Irens-designed trimaran Apricot which was dashed against a lee shore and destroyed. Ex-paratrooper Chay Blyth – hardly a shrinking violet – was late to the dock for the race because having seen the wild conditions from his hotel window he reasonably assumed there would be a postponement. But times change and, with ocean racing enjoying a surge in
popularity, the idea is to attract new competitors, not frighten them off. Nor do rescue services, already stretched when conditions are bad, welcome avoidable incidents close to the coast. I am a bit old school, having started plenty of offshore races into
the pit-to-car engineering comms were banned a few years ago. Still lots of telemetry back to the engineers today, to assist with messaging the man on the pedals, but gone are the days when the trackside engineers could remotely switch the car to ‘mode K’. Today’s America’s Cup engineers could effect this change with
little additional equipment. I’d be amazed if many of them are not gagging to try it. Teams would probably be using such remote control systems for testing today were they not still banned. Following the 2024 Cup in Barcelona feels like a good time to get the grown-ups in one room and decide whether sailors should be involved at all. Cost-cutting is always on the America’s Cup agenda.
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Credit where it’s due The old school rule was that offshore races started on schedule with no regard to weather. Then a few years ago organisers began to ease back on this approach, partly prompted by a number of fatalities in the opening stages of stormy races and encouraged by the first cases of race organisers being sued under an ‘alleged’
Vendée Globe line-honours winner and Fastnet Race champ, Apivia skipper Charlie Dalin takes the three-day delay to the start of the Route du Rhum in his stride with the benefit of his favourite reading matter
the teeth of a Channel gale… But today I have nothing but admiration for those running big races who decide to take a more cautious (mature) approach. In the case of the recent Rhum, waiting delivered an excellent race rather than a battle for survival. For having the courage to delay by a full three days the 2022 Route du Rhum race committee deserve a gentle round of applause.
THE BAD NEWS?
I’m not even tired – Charles Caudrelier wins the Route du Rhum
But I wouldn’t be here without Franck
Cammas – Caudrelier He isn’t far behind
Franck now… – Gitana manager Christian Le Pape
BAD TO WORSE We have a new boat planned with
(Guillaume) Verdier – Cyril Dardashti, Gitana Team CEO
HANG ON Now we are looking to average 800-850nm
longer the objective… – Le Cléac’h
every day, 35kt average – Armel Le Cléac’h, Banque Populaire XI
We know how to peak at 45-50kt so that is no
LEGEND Mike Birch was my inspiration, my friend, and one of the greatest men I have known as a sailor, mentor and competitor. He showed so many of us the path to fast, fun, crazy, wild
keep it upright, Mike! – Cam Lewis What to do with a man
and often scary ‘bleeding’ edge sailing on the world’s fastest and coolest cats and tris! His days on the big TAG cat were beyond amazing. Go fast and
who talks to flying fish? – Olivier de Kersauson
ENOUGH I am an overweight sexagenarian who in my youth was a size 10
with a handspan waist – Julie Burchill But what did it get me?
committing adultery – Burchill
Tony Parsons… – Burchill I also noticed that when slender I couldn’t stop
BACK IN YOUR BOX Our 100in telescope is
q
the biggest in the world – Edwin Hubble, 1930 We think we can use it to determine the
structure of the universe – Hubble My husband does that on the back of an old
envelope – Elsa Einstein
Seahorse magazine and our associate raceboatsonly brokerage site are both at:
seahorsemagazine.com The editor is contactable by email at:
andrew@seahorse.co.uk
SEAHORSE 11
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