America's Cup: Visible wind for the first time - how WindSight IQ is revolutionising sailing

Why doesn't Ineos Britannia skipper Ben Ainslie start to tack in order to closely cover the New Zealanders, or why does a team continue on despite the slipstream? These or similar questions could have been asked many times in the past few days. If it wasn't for Windsight IQ. The latest achievement in TV broadcasting technology in sailing has often provided a revealing answer. By colouring the water like a thermal imaging camera, wind fields are visualised live on the race course. For the first time, this gives all viewers an insight into the strategic considerations of the athletes on the water.

"The ability to see the invisible wind and compare the teams' actual performances and tactical decisions with the optimal routes means that viewers can watch and participate in the race on a whole new level," says Grant Dalton, CEO of the America's Cup event.

Due to the technical challenge, no one had previously been able to show the conditions at a regatta in real time. However, global tech company Capgemini worked with broadcaster America's Cup Media to develop the ground-breaking solution. "We wanted to make sailing easier and faster for a wider audience and not make predictions, but show the actual wind," says Gerrit Bottemöller. The man from Braunschweig was himself on board the United Internet Team Germany as a mastman at the 32nd America's Cup in 2007 and is a key expert in the Windsight IQ team at Capgemini.

LiDAR: How Windsight IQ works at the America's Cup

The system is fundamentally based on the three-dimensional laser scanning of LiDAR technology (Light Detection and Ranging), which is also of great importance in the topography and automotive industries, among others. Instead of radio waves as in radar, more precise and faster laser beams are used to measure particles in the air. To record the raw wind data, three LiDARs were therefore installed along Barcelona's seafront promenade overlooking the race course. "They scan the bay in a staggered manner. We are currently doing this in a five by six kilometre field. We could extend this to twelve kilometres," explains Bottemöller.

The laser measuring units, each valued at 250,000 euros, can record wind speeds and directions of up to 68 knots with an accuracy of less than 0.1 metres per second deviation. This data is used to update the transmission every second. Measurements from the boats and the buoys supplement the data package, which is collated by algorithms, and enable real-time visualisation for television viewers. The accuracy of the system is overwhelming.

1.5 million measuring points using three lasers

The three overlapping LiDARs alone enable a grid of 1.5 million measuring points. Cup veteran Bottemöller explains: "To get anywhere near that, we would need 200,000 buoys on this field. That's not financially viable and nobody can sail there anymore." The fact that the race organisers are now also including Windsight IQ in their considerations was an accolade for the young technology.

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In order to provide America's Cup fans with such reliable data through Windsight IQ, the lasers must always be adapted to the current conditions. "Lasers work through the Doppler effect, i.e. through reflection. If we have a high level of pollution, then we have a very good image. But if there is rain, then we have to filter out the rain, we can do all that. That's not a problem. But after the rain, the air is clearer. We also have to readjust that," says Gerrit Bottemöller. Over a period of six months, they experimented and collected data under a wide range of conditions. Several engineers adjust and calibrate the laser measurements during the live operation.

How the wind visualisation comes into the TV picture at the America's Cup

There are also numerous challenges when it comes to visualisation on TV. First of all, the incredible flow of data has to be simplified using various algorithms and visualised smoothly. This is done according to a simple principle: everything above and below the current average wind speed is coloured. Arrows are also used to show the exact wind direction. The augmented reality graphics in particular - i.e. the interactive elements integrated into a real image - have to be adapted to the weather, just like the measuring stations, emphasises Bottemöller: "The sea looks different when it's overcast or sunny and it has to be easy to understand, it shouldn't need much explanation."

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This is the only way that everyone can actually understand what the sailing aces are trying to do on the course. "The spectators see what the sailors don't see. And that emphasises the sailors' skills even more. If they interpret the wind spots and turns correctly, their skills become visible," says Bottemöller. And while no such systems can be used on board, there is another exciting feature for consumers: the so-called ghost boat.

Windsight IQ determines the optimum course

This predicts and simulates the optimum course on the next leg of the course. The software therefore performs a kind of weather routing, as known from the offshore sector, but for the America's Cup course, which is always between approximately one and two nautical miles long. The decisive factor here is: "When we make a forecast for the yellow or blue boat, it is really based on the current performance data of the respective boat." The complete data set available to the broadcasting team is accessed, says Bottemöller. The actual digital twin of the cuppers would be even more precise, but none of the teams want to hand this over.

In the broadcast, the function is not only used before the start, but often also when the teams decide to split at the windward gate, for example. Thanks to the simulated "ghost boat", it is then possible to predict who will be in the lead in the next encounter.

Wind turbulence and covers could also be visualised with Windsight IQ, but this is not currently practised. Former sailing professional and engineer Bottemöller reveals: "We had lots of other ideas, but we didn't want to overload it." In fact, not only the slipstream of the AC75, the spectator boats or even large buildings on land are visible in the data, but also the so-called downwash of the helicopters.

Does Capgemini technology have a future in cruising?

The Capgemini system can be variably adjusted; currently, a range of 18 to 26 metres above zero has been agreed upon, in which the eye-safe lasers, which are completely harmless to the surroundings, are installed. With a mast height of 26 metres for the current America's Cup boats, the decisive range can also be mapped without any problems.

This fact is also likely to raise the eyebrows of many a cruising sailor: What if we all soon have a LiDAR in the mast and only sail with VR goggles so that we can always see the wind, which is actually invisible? Probably not. Apart from the fact that it is difficult to implement due to the movement of the ship, among other things, hardly any cruising sailor is dependent on such a visualisation of the conditions directly around them. This type of technology is only likely to appeal to sailing schools, although here, too, its usefulness would have to be questioned. The system could also provide decisive advantages at regattas, but would probably be banned as quickly as possible in all class regulations.

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Worldwide Windsight IQ network and sail development with LiDARs

Expert Gerrit Bottemöller does not expect such a development in the next few years anyway, but has a different approach for cruising: "I see a network of permanently installed LiDARs at neuralgic points or harbour entrances and the like." These could then be accessed via an app, for example, and provided with live data before and when navigating a difficult passage. This could also be a great advantage from a safety perspective, especially for beginners and charter sailors in unfamiliar waters. Drones equipped with LiDARs that are sent ahead could also play a role. This concept is primarily intended for use in sail-assisted commercial shipping.

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For the average sailor, laser technology could become interesting in another area: sail (trim). Emirates Team New Zealand demonstrated this during training before the final America's Cup match and installed a laser on port and starboard. Both the sails and the water surface were scanned, according to all assumptions. The analysis is then carried out using the boat's performance data. This approach could also be used in sail development for the general market or for trim optimisation.

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According to Bottemöller, the current financial hurdles could be overcome. "I believe that if we have more fields of application, we can simply make the technology cheaper. I am firmly convinced of this." At the end of the Cup, around 15 to 17 terabytes of data will have been collected, which can be used to drive innovation forward. There are also other areas of work outside of sailing. The systems developed in the America's Cup could also decisively advance other sports such as golf, football and Formula 1 or represent a quantum leap at airports or in forest fire prevention.