The handling of the centreboards, which allowed the US team to stay stable on the foils during the last America's Cup, was one of the main keys to success. The New Zealanders had shown the way, and the Americans often ended up on the nose. But just one month before the start of the final, the manoeuvre worked better every time. What had happened? Was an illegal technique used, as many suspected?
The US-American Jack Griffin has now published in his blog Drawings and photos published which were allegedly leaked to him by the Cup winner. According to this, the technical improvement was a mechanical control for operating the angle of attack of the centreboards. Helmsman James Spithill was able to adjust this angle using buttons on the steering wheel. Depending on the angle of the horizontal wing on the centreboard, the cat rose or fell.
In an initial version, however, the operation was too coarse and dependent on the hydraulic pressure that had to be built up by the crew and the pressure on the foil. The new component then supposedly made it possible to adjust the angle very quickly in 0.5 degree increments.
According to Griffin, this also made it possible to significantly improve the turning technique, as he explains in a video analysis occupied.
Team New Zealand had tried to have the equipment declared illegal, but the protest was received too late. However, it would have been rejected by the jury otherwise.
These documents do not provide any real insight into whether the sudden increase in performance by the Americans was due to the right reasons. However, they do provide an interesting insight into Cup high-tech.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
