Cup contenders happy to borrow a few ideas
Look, learn and loot – it’s that time of the America’s Cup cycle when there’s so much to benefit from copying an opponent’s better design or system.
There’s been little or no respite for the four syndicates over the festive season as they soak up the data from practice racing and then the world series regatta in Auckland pre-Christmas.
The three challengers are in a frenzy to gain any advantage ahead of the Prada Cup that starts on January 15.
Defender Team New Zealand are plotting their development through to March 6, the next time they sail in anger with the first race of the America’s Cup match.
There’s sense to look back to move forward and the teams’ analysts will have been pouring over races from the world series regatta, the only time Team New Zealand got to line out against the three challengers before the Cup match.
As American Magic skipper and chief executive Terry Hutchinson says: ‘‘You look around the fleet and there’s a lot of really good ideas on the other boats.
‘‘It’s good to see that some of our ideas seem to be working. At the same time, [we may] grab on to a couple of others that we can implement into our own sails or techniques.’’
The America’s Cup has never been a game where teams are shy to steal a better concept from an opponent. Those in the know will figure out the steering wheel control variations and also be better informed about the contrasting cockpit positions of the men holding those wheels.
They will look closely at the mysterious handle Team New Zealand wing trimmer Glenn Ashby grabs on to.
They will investigate whether Luna Rossa have an innovative mechanical system that gives greater leverage to the movement of the arms of their grinders.
They will listen closely to the calls of skippers and tacticians as they prepare and emerge from turns to see if there are better communication methods on offer for boats that heavily punish one poor manoeuvre.
Double America’s Cup winner Jimmy Spithill knows all about never-ending development. It was the key to Oracle Team USA’s remarkable comeback win against Team New Zealand at San Francisco in 2013 and still applies to his Luna Rossa team as they try desperately to win their first Cup.
‘‘Time is the key currency in the America’s Cup, and a few weeks is a big amount of time. Now the teams have learned a lot from all the racing and footage, on-board shots, etc, I think we will see the boats get even closer,’’ Spithill said.
Spithill said there were also plenty of learnings they could take away from their own experiences at the world series regatta.
‘‘Being a step or two ahead. Anticipating the next move, as everything happens fast,’’ he said.