Getting up to speed
'Formula One' boat to transform yacht racing
By harnessing the power of technology, Land Rover has built a catamaran it says is technically on a par with a Formula One car
What happens when artificial intelligence, big data and self-learning technology meet aerodynamics? Few traditional sports have harnessed the power of technology as well as motor racing. But high technology has also come to transform yachting and, in particular, the America’s Cup, a competition dating back to 1851. Two years ago Land Rover became the title sponsor to the eponymous Ben Ainslie Racing (BAR), a British yacht team formed by the four-time Olympic gold medallist. The motor manufacturer used this link with the boating industry to build its first-ever race boat for what has come to be called team Land Rover BAR, and which sailed in the 2017 America’s Cup in Bermuda. The result is Rita, a catamaran that has been described as “a fighter jet on water”, and one of the fastest of its kind. The boat is as technologically advanced as a Formula One car, says Land Rover BAR boss Martin Whitmarsh. He should know — he has 25 years of experience in Formula One and once served as CEO of...
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