In the middle of the race against the Orient Express, last Thursday, Jimmy Spithill, one of the Luna Rossa (Italy) pilots, asked the rest of the team by radio: “Board down” (Foil (below). Nobody understood why one of the great names of the America’s Cup required his trimmer (flight controllers) lowered one of the flaps as they advanced into open country with the French team far behind. Spithill insisted: “More down!” (Below). Mystery solved. Spithill asked to slow down the flight, not to lower the foil As his companions initially understood, if they had listened to him they would have gotten into trouble.
Even though the boat took a few seconds to do what Spithill asked, the delay had no effect on the outcome of the race. They easily beat the French. But if they had to face another rival or if it had happened in a tighter situation, the team knows that perhaps it would. “Communication on board is key for everything to go well. It is essential to be precise,” summarizes Nicholas Brezzi, one of the cyclors of the Italian team. Since then, no one is allowed to use the expression anymore. More down aboard the Luna Rossa. “We will continue using Board downbut not More down because they look too similar and it leads to error, as happened,” Brezzi points out. Issue resolved.
In order to optimise performance, the teams analyse audio recordings recorded during the race every day to find ways to improve their communication. “Good, reliable communication is absolutely essential to winning the America’s Cup,” says Rik Roukens, Head of Technology at Alinghi Red Bull Racing. The usual recipe is to talk little and well to sail better. “The fewer words we use and the simpler they are, the better,” says Bleddyn Mon, trimmer from Ineos Britannia (United Kingdom).
There are priority messages. Pilots and helmsmen are constantly relaying information, especially when they have to maneuver. “Our helmsmen do an incredible job of not overwhelming communications. They use precise and concise words,” says Ethan Seder, cyclor from American Magic. “We as cyclors“We have our backs to the sea and we can’t see, so we need to be very in tune with what they say and what it means,” he insists.
Cyclists intervene less. Not only because they make fewer decisions, but because at 180 beats per minute, the words don’t come out. “They have their own channel. They only talk about the power requirements of the upcoming maneuvers. That’s their approach. If everything goes well, we don’t listen to them,” Mon points out.
Secret codes
One of the most tense moments is the pre-start, the most important phase of the race. The teams try to gain position on their rivals in a closed space while waiting for a countdown to enable the start of the race. “There are a lot of things going on and you have to tell your teammates everything you are going to do,” explains Seder. And to avoid misunderstandings, the teams directly use codes. “When we say Chicago, it means we are doing one thing, and if we say Dino, another,” admits Brezzi. Are they secret codes? “Yes. For example, if we say numbers in English, we are talking about one thing; and if we say them in Italian, about another,” adds Brezzi. cyclor Luna Rossa without giving further details. “Everything is planned,” he smiles.
Since mobility on board has been reduced due to the boat’s format and to optimise aerodynamics, radio communication has become essential. In this edition, as in 2021 (the current AC75 model was also used), the location of the two pilots does not help communication. Located on either side of the boat and separated by a huge sail, they only have a 180-degree view and cannot see each other. “Wind, noise and vibrations interfere with the flow of communication; and all manoeuvres are carried out in a matter of seconds. The essential thing is that the entire crew receives clear and precise information simultaneously,” stresses Alinghi Red Bull Racing, which this Sunday plays its continuity in the competition in the last day of the Round Robin, the qualifying phase that gives access to the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup prior to the Match final in which Team New Zealand awaits its opponent.
With Luna Rossa waiting to consolidate its lead (which would allow it to choose its opponent in the semi-finals), the spotlight will be on the Swiss team and Orient Express, the only two teams that can be eliminated. The French are in a worse position: after winning the first race of this qualifying phase, they have lost the last six in a row and need to beat Ineos to stay in contention provided that Alinghi Red Bull loses its race against the Italians.
