Catamarans equipped with latest innovations and artificial intelligence to achieve tightest races at speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour.
Racing begins in Cádiz and the ten teams competing in the SailGP launch F50, flying catamarans. Equipped with 800 sensors capable of generating over 270,000 data points in seconds. Thanks to this, the athletes traveling in the F50s and the coaches of each team have it in their hands to use this information to achieve as much success as possible. The US team won the Cadiz race in October 2023, but the Spaniards are fourth in the overall standings and will look to improve in the next few days. New Zealand.
Behind all this technology and its fundamental role in SailGP competition is Oracle. The company provides key technology that helps each team maximize performance and enhance the viewer experience.
„Over the water, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) Allows you to analyze over 48 billion data points for each race day. Analytics from Oracle help teams make better decisions during races and provide the foundation for the SailGP streaming platform. It also offers remote refereeing and Emmy Award-winning LiveLineFX so-called broadcast graphics, which uses augmented reality graphics to insert key graphic elements into the narrative during live broadcasts,” explains Joan Cardona, grinder of the Spanish SailGB team and bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
This same technology provides fans with complete, real-time information on each team's performance off the water while following the broadcast of the event.
Artificial intelligence is applied to all this collected data, lOr in recent years the speed of catamarans has increased, allowing them to reach 100 km/h. Similarly, by using Oracle Stream Analytics, you can process and analyze data in real-time on a large scale using sophisticated communication methods, enrichment and machine learning. “It provides more real-time insights into streaming data while automating actions,” Cardona adds.
„Being aboard the F50 Victoria, we have screens where we can see all the numbers. These give us hints on how to adjust the sails smoothly. At the same time, The coach can see the number of other teams And if it observes that another country is getting more efficiency, it sends that information to us and we try to adjust,” he explains.
specific, Coaches monitor the situation from the ground through nine cameras Different is the app used by all F50s' data and umpires, which uses the boats' geolocation and allows them to view the entire race course from above in 2D. With all of these tools, the coach communicates with the sailors to warn them of changes in the wind, different sail sets from their opponents, or the correct course when two boats meet.
Cardona assures that it is impossible to manage internal systems without data on these types of ships. „Without software, finding the time it takes to cross the starting line at top speed is almost impossible. Software assistance ensures that all boats are fairly level after the start And guarantees exciting races,” says the Olympic medalist.
In addition to racing, Oracle is developing a new SailGP simulator that aims to allow athletes to virtually compete with F50s. „This is similar to what happens in F1. „The idea is that athletes can use it to fill positions like pilot, wing trimmer or flight controller and experience different race configurations and conditions.”
A competition at the highest level where technology plays an important role will be held again in different parts of the world till July this year, where the final will be held in San Francisco.