The water is flying: 34 knots, 35.4, 37.6 - the speed values on the display are soaring, the screeching of the foils can be heard very quietly in the background, 39.8, and just a blink of an eye later, the 40-knot mark is cracked. Nothing more special for the German youth and women's America's Cup team, which is moving away from the windward mark it has just passed at an alarming speed.
Despite a hasty chase, the four-man crew sits in their encapsulated cockpits, almost deeply relaxed but highly focussed. In the previous training race, the 40-foot foiler had spun out of control in the same place, shot up into the air and then slowly lay down on its cheek, yawning. Boat and crew remained unscathed and dry as dust. The reason for this is not an ingenious sprayhood, but the fact that they are not on the water in the Cup area off Barcelona, but in an industrial area in the outskirts of Kiel.
This is where the AC40 simulator of the German foiling elite is located, which should make the purchase of a real boat costing 2.85 million US dollars (2.6 million euros) for training purposes superfluous. What has long been a matter of course in motorsport could now also make its way into the wider sailing world. This is by no means the first time in the history of the America's Cup that simulators have been used for training and development purposes. However, the computer used in this cycle has some special features and could also play a revolutionary role outside the battle for the world's oldest sporting trophy.
These sailors should lead Germany to victory
The AC40 simulator, like the AC40 itself, was developed by Emirates Team New Zealand. Only they have had such a multi-layered data set for long enough to enable the programming of such complex software. The graphics, which are certainly impressive, are of secondary importance. What is crucial for realistic training conditions is above all the correct behaviour of the boat in all conditions and with all conceivable actions by the crew.
For the German Youth and Women's America's Cup team, the simulator is the most important and so far only training tool in preparation for the races in September and October this year. As part of the 37th America's Cup, the youngsters in the Youth America's Cup will also be competing for the silver jug for the third time. After a crew led by Erik Heil and Philipp Buhl made the start in 2013 and a team led by the three Kohlhoff brothers in 2017, Germany will be represented off Barcelona for the third time. There they will compete against eleven other teams from countries including France, New Zealand, Spain and Canada, which also have a crew of sailors under the age of 25. The Waszp Vice European Champion and Kiel Week winner Paul Farien was the main driving force behind this. In addition to Ilca talent Julian Hofmann and Olympic bronze medallist Alica Stuhlemmer (Nacra 17, Tokyo 2021), Lukas Hesse and Jesse Lindstädt, Linus von Oppen and Tom Heinrich as well as Maru Scheel will also be on board.
The latter could also be part of the second German team, as the Womens America's Cup will also be held in Barcelona for the first time. The German women's team will be led by Carolina Werner, who finished 13th with Paul Kohlhoff in the Nacra 17 at the 2016 Olympics. Another Olympic participant, 470 helmswoman Luise Wanser, is part of the team, as is Tina Lutz, a medallist (silver in the 49er FX, Tokyo 2021). Moth World Champion Franziska Mäge and SailGP strategist Sophie Steinlein have plenty of foiling experience. But the area is not new territory for twin sister Theresa, Ilca sailor Hannah Anderssohn and Luisa Krüger either.
AC40 on the Kiel Fjord?
Both competitions will be sailed in the one-design AC40s, which also serve as a training platform for the large Cup teams and were even part of the pre-regattas. This is a smaller version of the AC75 class with automatic altitude control and a self-tacking jib. The number of crew is also reduced; instead of eight, as on the large Cuppers, only four sailors are used on the AC40s.
The format is also different from the original America's Cup. Instead of match races, regular fleet races will initially be sailed in two groups of six. The top three in each group will advance to the semi-final, which is also planned as a fleet race. Only the final will take place in the regular America's Cup mode.
The sailors have been working on implementing the project since autumn 2022 with supporters such as two-time Starboat Olympic participant Marc Pickel. In the meantime, not only has the entry fee of around 70,000 euros been transferred for both teams and the start confirmed, but training is also in full swing. This required the purchase of a simulator, as the dream of an AC40 on the Kiel Fjord was quickly dashed for cost reasons. For Paul Farien, co-founder and team member of the German youth team, there is no question: "We definitely want to make it to the finals and put together a big America's Cup team in the long term!"
This is how much the simulator for the America's Cup costs
For both goals, virtual training is essential before and alongside actual sailing. Nathan Outteridge, co-skipper of the New Zealand defenders alongside Peter Burling, said at the launch in September 2023: "The simulator is an important tool for our whole programme. It's very realistic."
The complete setup, worth around 80,000 euros, exactly replicates the cockpit of the real AC40. Not only do all the moulds and dimensions, the carbon bucket seats and the semi-open steering wheel correspond to the original, but so do all the trims.
In the past, VR goggles were often used, but without a boat model. The sailors simply sat on normal chairs and at most had individual components such as the steering wheel or a grinder in front of them. The current fully physical realisation of the cockpit, on the other hand, makes it even easier to rehearse certain procedures and makes it easier for the sailors to get a feel for the boat. However, there is no all-round view as in a completely virtual world; the action only takes place on a large screen in front of the cockpit replica.
German sailors train for the America's Cup on the simulator for up to 10 hours a day
Meanwhile, a few glimpses of a mixture of VR and the real cockpit were shown by the British team, whose simulator work benefited greatly from the partnered Mercedes Formula 1 racing team.
However, the software for the regular AC40 simulator is also still undergoing further development, explains Paul Farien. Among other things, the German America's Cup contenders have been sailing virtually against other teams from all over the world since the beginning of the year thanks to a new feature. "This puts the handling and our boat feeling to the test and we have to prove ourselves. We're good, but we still have a lot of work to do," admits Carolina Werner, Rio 2016 Olympic participant in the Nacra and head of the women's campaign.
That's why they train hard - up to ten hours a day. This would be almost unthinkable on the water due to the sailors' fatigue. "That's the big advantage," says Werner, even if performance occasionally deteriorates again after several hours of screen time. "Then you discuss a few things, re-motivate yourself and start a second session."
Advantages and difficulties of simulator training
In the beginning, it was all about getting used to the simulator and getting the boat safely over the course. In addition to optimising manoeuvres, the focus is now on looking out of the boat and working tactically. "I didn't have anything to do with it before, I didn't gamble at home either. So it was something completely different at first," recalls 30-year-old Werner of her first session in the simulator. "I wouldn't have thought it, but you develop a kind of feeling relatively quickly."
This is astonishing, because unlike in the real world, virtual sailing can only be visual and limited auditory, at least so far. No g-forces in the manoeuvres, no breeze on the back of the neck and no spray on the face - the crew receives no sensory feedback other than at the steering wheel. However, these influences are particularly important for the well-known "emotional sailors".
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Instead of literally "having it in their buttocks", the sailors are forced to rely solely on the figures on the on-board computers and to read them correctly. This has to be learnt, as the squad of the two German America's Cup teams is predominantly made up of sailors from the Olympic field, where such performance data is not accessible on the water, let alone shown on a display. "None of us have ever sailed with virtual systems," explains Paul Farien. However, in the field of high-performance sailing in the America's Cup, the SailGP or even speed record attempts, these technologies are part of everyday life and are also indispensable on the water.
America's Cup: How the AC40 cockpit is designed
The so-called targets, which provide a calculated target value for each number on the displays, offer a little help with orientation. "But you can also beat them if you're in a good mood," reveals Farien. That's why the team has already created its own trim tables by carrying out extensive data analyses of individual units on the simulator - top secret, of course. Although they are in contact with the other teams, they do not go into details in their communication. "We all have our secrets, but that's what the America's Cup is for," says Farien.
In addition to speed and trim values, the helmsmen have another screen in view. This is equipped with the race software and has various parameters such as the distances to the start line or the course boundaries. A digital track diagram also shows laylines, interior zones and the driver's own position. It is possible that opponents will also be displayed here in the future.
If you look further round the cockpit, you will discover neither winches nor trim lines. Anyone who has followed the America's Cup in recent years is unlikely to have expected these on the AC40. Instead, there are a series of buttons and switches to the left and right of the steering wheel. These are used to control and trim the foils. After manoeuvres, the helmsman on the leeward side always becomes responsible for the foils and hands over the wheel to the new windward side.
The limits of sailing simulators
The two trimmers, which are located behind the helmsmen, also have their own screen with a keyboard. They also take care of the correct setting of the mainsail and headsail alternately. During manoeuvres, they hand over again: The leeward side is always responsible for the jib, the windward side for the main. Communication is crucial here. This takes place via short commands in English. On board, this is done exclusively by radio due to the external influences and the sail pulled up to the deck ("deck sweeper"), which separates the two crew sections in the centre of the boat.
A creative solution is therefore needed on the simulator in order to be able to train realistically. The location helped. The simulator for the German youth and women's America's Cup team is located in the hall of the company of Marc Pickel, a major sponsor and coach. When work is carried out here during the week, it can get loud. Although the noise is different to the wind and waves on the water, it is still a sufficiently loud backdrop. At the latest then, the sailors wear headphones and communicate via a group call similar to radio.
Despite all the realism, the sailors are aware that this still has its limits somewhere. Carolina Werner therefore sees a clear advantage for those parts of the competition that are already equipped with a boat. "It would be much better for us if we could sail on the water now. The speeds are of course simulated on the screen in the simulator, but the feeling of travelling at around 100 km/h is certainly a completely different one."
Training for the America's Cup: German team wants to charter AC40
How many of these real-life experiences the two German teams will gather before the first starting signal is still unclear. Although the purchase of an AC40 is still firmly planned for the future, it is not financially feasible at the moment. The aim is therefore to charter one of the boats from other teams for at least some of the sessions. "We are gradually canvassing all the teams and are currently waiting to hear back from some of them. The fact that other competitors are also longing for real water hours and the boats are therefore in high demand does not make the situation any better for the German team. "But it may well be that we get a chance," says Werner.
Until then, the team will only occasionally take to the foils on the smaller 69F skiffs and sometimes on moths; everything else has to happen on the ground in the simulator. This is also where it will be decided who from the talent pool will be allowed to go to Barcelona. "We will have an official selection process in which we choose the best six sailors: four permanent crew members plus two as replacements," says Farien, explaining the procedure for the Youth America's Cup team. The individual positions have not yet been finalised either. Instead, training will take place in mixed and variable crew constellations, depending on the availability and other programmes of the sailors.
Some of the team members are studying and running an Olympic campaign at the same time. Sophie Steinlein even sails on three tracks: as a helmswoman in the 49er FX, as a strategist in the German SailGP team and again at the helm in the Youth and Women's America's Cup. "My social life suffers the most," says the 22-year-old from Wörthsee. "But I'm enjoying it and taking everything I can with me at the moment." The training in the simulator helps her enormously for her missions on the F50 catamaran in the SailGP. She explains: "In the simulator, I'm at the helm and have to make decisions all the time. And in very fast boats, too."
The best sailing simulator in the world
She could only achieve an even better training effect without actually sailing in the simulator in Belfast, which was specially designed for foiling catamarans. The simulator developed by Artemis Technologies after the 2017 America's Cup and the knowledge gained from it is considered the most advanced in sailing. It not only simulates the cockpit, but also the movements of the racing machine. The sailors are in a replica of a float. This floats a few metres above the ground on a flexible hydraulic platform that is connected to the simulator. A 4.5 metre high, 210 degree screen also transmits images from three powerful projectors.
The software also has it all: as in motorsport, simulator data can be overlaid with actual measured values. This allows racing strategies to be worked out and real races to be simulated. In the simulation, different decisions can then be made under the same conditions and starting positions in the race, allowing tactical improvements to be practised. However, the clear advantage over the current version of the AC40 simulator is also reflected in the costs: a training day costs around 8,000 euros.
For half this price (per year), you can even use the AC40 simulator on your own computer. Until now, apart from a few rather simple computer games, simulations were reserved for professionals. This is another reason why the AC40 replica could record relatively high sales figures. The decisive factor, however, is the strategy of the AC40 class.
AC40 racing series already planned
This is because the One Design developed by the New Zealanders will also be used in the subsequent Women's and Youth America's Cup in 2028. Meanwhile, the introduction of an AC40 racing series in 2025 is expected to be even more exciting. Private teams can already order a boat now, and simulator training will also play a major role for them. This, in turn, will further advance the development of sailing simulations for training purposes.
The development of simulators in motorsport began in the mid-1990s and today they are an integral part of training and development. Racing teams maintain their own simulator teams to individually prepare for and follow up on races. The drivers themselves also spend several hours a week on the virtual track.
In view of the high risks and costs, virtual training devices are even being used in junior and popular sports. And there's more: even driving schools are increasingly practising in simulators.
Sailing simulators in the future
Applied to the sport of sailing, the entire spectrum of sailing could benefit from the current development in virtual training methods. While it is already clear in the Cup and SailGP world that there will be no way around the simulator in the future, an upswing can also be expected in other areas of regatta sailing.
As soon as a suitable simulator is affordable on the market, the advantages are obvious: winter training for junior and squad athletes without expensive and environmentally harmful flights to the south, great time savings and effective bad weather training for children or even targeted preparation for the upcoming regatta area.
Meanwhile, sailing schools could undergo a small revolution, even if the first projects with virtual school units on the water have not yet finally caught on. Understanding and internalising the manoeuvres required for the various certificates in the simulator would make it easier for many newcomers to sailing in particular. The same applies to everyone else at the start of the season: want to brush up on harbour and rescue manoeuvres? - No problem!
Because even with a very steep development curve for the technology, the simulator will ideally remain a supplement for all purposes and should by no means take away from days on the water. On the contrary: if you bring the boat into your living room virtually in winter, you not only have a great programme for cloudy days, but also stay fresh and have more confidence during the actual season!
