Jul 27 2015
iXBlue, a global leader in navigation, positioning, and imaging solutions, is providing high performance heading and attitude sensors to Land Rover BAR to help the British team bring the America's Cup home to where it all began on the Solent in 1851.
The America's Cup is the oldest trophy in international sport, it is sailing's greatest competitive prize and winning it means winning the commercial rights to the next regatta – and that can be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. It's an environment where failure can be very expensive.
It is also an environment that presents serious challenges to mission critical high-technology electronics. A foil-borne craft driven by a solid wingsail at speeds of up to 80 km/h, a moving ball of spray with water at fire-hose velocities.
Where better for iXBlue to demonstrate their technology and its unsurpassed reliability?
The iXBlue navigation system will monitor the relative orientations and motions of Land Rover BAR's wing-sailed foiling catamarans. The equipment had to be the highest specification, smallest size and lightest available - and above all, it had to be reliable. The iXBlue INS solution was deemed perfect for this challenge.
The equipment will play a fundamental role in the development and optimization of performance, allowing the team to test ideas to optimize the design of these revolutionary craft.
Land Rover BAR will install one INS in the wingsail to monitor the wing's orientation relative to the wind direction and the hulls below. A second unit will be installed in the hull platform to monitor the heading and attitude of the platform relative to the hydrofoils and the wing.
Luc du Bois (from Land Rover BAR's Analysis and Simulation Team) commented, "These sail boats are extremely sensitive to every little change in conditions, and thanks to this complex installation, a precise reading of the boat's attitude and performance will be possible, allowing greater optimization of the solid wing sails and performance in 'flight'."
David Cunningham, iXBlue Regional Sales Manager commented, "Land Rover BAR is working really hard on getting the right data, the right instruments and sensors to win the America's Cup, and iXBlue is proud to participate in this great and exciting journey."