BMW designs high-tech America's Cup steering wheel

Twice winning America's Cup skipper, Australian-born James "Jimmy" Spithill has wrapped his hands around the custom-made steering wheel designed and built by BMW especially for the new Oracle Team USA America’s Cup Class boat launching in just a few weeks.

As he grasped the wheel, Spthill explained that when you're doing 50mph boat speed you can't afford not to look ahead. The new lightweight high-tech wheel has foiling controls built into it, a bit like a race-car wheel, and looked the part in race red.

"The America’s Cup Class catamarans are unbelievably fast on the foils. However, controlling and steering these yachts is very complex," explained Spithill.

"This steering wheel is an optimal solution for adjusting the rudder and foils. I am thrilled with the new system developed by the BMW race engineers, as the yacht that can ‘fly’ the longest has the best chance of winning the race."

BMW CONNECTION
Dr. Ian Robertson from BMW presented Spithill with the high-tech wheel at the recent Detroit Motor Show. BMW is a design partner specialising in aerodynamics optimisation for Oracle Team USA and its challenger in the 35th America’s Cup.

Oracle Team USA will be out to win the most coveted sailing trophy in the world for the third time in a row when the America’s Cup Match takes place off the coast of Bermuda in June, 2017.

"We are very proud to be Global Partner of the 35th America’s Cup, which is the most technically demanding sailing event in the world," said Dr. Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW.

"BMW also supports ORACLE TEAM USA as Technology Partner with engineering expertise, including the optimisation of aerodynamics, to create the ‘Ultimate Sailing Machine’.

"Now that the boats are capable of ‘flying’, they need a completely different kind of steering system," Dr Robertson said.

MOTORSPORTS TECH
The same BMW engineers that design the BMW Motorsport race car steering wheels developed the lightweight, intuitive steering wheel, which helps the team chase valuable seconds as they defend the America’s Cup in June.

The America's Cup Class catamarans appear to soar weightlessly above the water on their foils. However, what may seem effortless is actually the result of a constant adjustment of the foils in the water.

In order to allow the yacht to ‘fly’ the helmsman must adjust the angle of the daggerboard foil and rudder foil on a second-by-second basis to suit the course, wind, speed and position of the opposition. To pull off all this at virtually the same time, he needs an intelligent and intuitive steering module, which works with absolute precision, similar to a steering wheel in a racing car.

THE NEW ACCC CATS
Basically there are three types of boats being used in the 35th America's Cup.

The AC45F (F for Foiling) is a one-design, foiling, wing-sailed catamaran that is raced in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series. Compared to an ACC boat, the AC45F is relatively simple and, as a one design yacht, all of the boats are identical.

For 2017, each team must design and build it’s own America’s Cup Class (ACC) boat. These boats are 15-metres long (nearly 50-feet) and are built to a design rule, but that rule allows designers and engineers to express their creativity in their designs. All racing in 2017, from the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers to the America’s Cup Match, presented by Louis Vuitton, will be match racing in ACC boats.

The AC45S (or AC45T as some teams call them) is the bridge between the AC45F and the ACC boats. The teams are using these to test ideas, validate assumptions, and practice racing in a boat that closely approximates the ACC boats.

The AC45S boats will never engage in ‘official’ racing and some teams have one of these boats while some have built more for testing and training purposes. The hulls for the AC45S boats must be identical to AC45F hull lengths (45ft), but otherwise, as these boats will never race, teams have a lot of flexibility in the systems they can use on board.

From AC45F to AC45S to ACC, the development is clear, but what is yet to be seen is just how fast the ACC boats will be. The new Oracle launches in a few weeks. Exciting times are ahead. More at www.americascup.com.

Photo Credit: AC45 by Matt Knighton.