When America's Cup racing gets underway shortly after 4pm today, Team New Zealand will be hoping that next-level weather forecasting can give it an edge over the Italian syndicate Luna Rossa.
Team New Zealand's Te Rehutai during an America's Cup practice session on the Waitematā Harbour in Auckland. Photo: © Photosport Ltd
Much of the interest in the cup's technology has focused on the AC75 class foils which allow them to lift above the sea.
But one of the hidden developments of Team New Zealand is its sophisticated weather forecasting which allows the crew to understand changes in wind and currents during the race.
The aim is to give skipper Peter Burling all the information he needs to steer a faster course.
Skipper Peter Burling will be armed with the latest technology as he helms Team New Zealand in the America's Cup finals. Photo: © Chris Cameron 2021
It works like a good map or a car speedometer updating every 20 seconds.
Not only does the new forecasting give weather and wind shifts but it measures shifts in sea currents.
Dr Mike Williams who is leading NIWA's work with Team New Zealand told Nine to Noon that one of the challenges to overcome was the foil itself.
"The yachts on their foils can't measure the current.
"Those foils are so narrow, so skinny there is nothing they can use to measure water speed."
Instead, his team pulls down sophisticated global weather pattern data and chunks it down into more and more focused areas until it reaches as granular as the Rangitoto channel on Tamaki Makaurau's Hauraki Gulf and Waitematā Harbour.
The team can then analyse wind shifts, currents and waves.
Photo: © Chris Newey 2021
That work has had three uses. The one most obvious today will be the detailed analysis of weather every 20 seconds when the boats square off for two races in the first-to-seven-wins series.
But the first part of the work over the last three years has been in helping with the design of the boat so it can be maximised for the weather conditions it will encounter.
"Next, we fed the weather info into the team's computer to simulate what weather to anticipate. The team has been able to train on simulators on what are the most likely conditions, using real data from real conditions. But also we have been able to simulate the odd conditions as well, so that the team can understand what that might feel like."
But if Team New Zealand is working with next level meteorological data, you can bet other teams have been trying to do the same.
"The cup is full of secrets," Dr Williams said.
At least a few of them may be revealed in a few hours' time.
