Ferrari Hypersail: ‘Winch-by-Wire’ turns muscle power into electricity

With its ‘Winch-by-Wire’ system, Ferrari is reinterpreting the classic winch system. The muscle power generated by the crew no longer drives mechanical or hydraulic systems directly, but is instead converted immediately into electrical energy. This energy can be stored centrally and accessed in real time, precisely when and where it is needed – for example, to trim the sails or for hydraulic functions on deck.

Less physical strain, more efficient working

This offers a key advantage for the crew: the cranking motion can be performed consistently and efficiently, regardless of the load. Whilst conventional systems require significantly more effort as the load increases, Winch-by-Wire ensures that both the electromechanical efficiency and the physical capabilities of the crew are utilised to the full. In this way, a single person can control significantly heavier loads than would be possible with conventional mechanical or hydraulic systems.

The power delivered via the grinder platforms is generated by the same electric motors used in the active suspension systems of the Ferrari Purosangue SUV and the F80 hypercar. It is then fed into the vehicle’s electrical system and used to operate the winches or hydraulic systems. The journey to get there was an exciting one, as Lanzavecchia reports. “We worked intensively on optimising human power output to understand how sailors at the grinders generate energy as efficiently as possible.” Among other things, this involved determining how much oxygen an athlete consumes at different cranking speeds. The result: there is an optimal, constant cranking speed at which sailors expend the least energy. This speed saves around 15 to 20 per cent.

Energy balance as the cornerstone of development work

But why use grinder platforms instead of bicycles, as is the case in the America’s Cup? In fact, the development team analysed various concepts. Biomechanically, it’s clear: you can generate more power with your legs than with your arms. “But,” Lanzavecchia qualifies, “it also depends on what else the crew has to do in the cockpit. Perhaps you’re switching back and forth between different tasks, or perhaps you need to lend a hand elsewhere at short notice. That’s a completely different situation to the America’s Cup, where specific athletes do nothing but pedal.”

In Part 3 of the Ferrari Hypersail article, we take a closer look at the exciting energy concept behind this radical offshore racer and reveal what the 18 registered patents are all about.