Mission America’s Cup defence: BMW Motorsport designed steering wheel for ORACLE TEAM USA racing yacht presented at Detroit Auto Show.

  • BMW presents America’s Cup commitment at Auto Show in Detroit.
  • BMW Motorsport technology used to optimise ORACLE TEAM USA
    (OTUSA)’s America’s Cup Class (AC50) racing yacht.
  • BMW board member Dr Robertson presents innovative steering
    wheel to OTUSA skipper Jimmy Spithill.

 

Detroit. Dr Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management
of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing BMW used the North American
International Auto Show in Detroit (USA) in the Defender’s home
country to launch the countdown to 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. BMW is the
Defender’s Technology Partner and supports the design team with
engineering know-how from the world of automobile manufacturing. Dr
Robertson handed over an innovative steering wheel that optimises
the demanding steering of the high-tech catamarans, enabling them to
“fly” more steadily. This is the most important factor for speed in
the modern America’s Cup.

“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. Robertson. “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. The same BMW engineers that design the BMW
Motorsport race car steering wheels developed the lightweight,
intuitive steering wheel for ORACLE TEAM USA, which helps the team
chase valuable seconds as they defend the America’s Cup in June.”

The new steering wheel is the result of a project launched at a
technology workshop during the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World
Series event in New York in May. It will feature on board the new
America’s Cup Class catamaran, which the Defender will present in
February. “The America’s Cup Class catamarans are unbelievably fast on
the foils. However, controlling and steering these yachts is very
complex,” said Jimmy Spithill, skipper of ORACLE TEAM USA. “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.”

The AC50 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’ without respite, 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 BMW Motorsport
engineers are very familiar with such demands. As in competitive
sailing, the BMW works drivers competing in global GT races, endurance
classics and the German Touring Car Masters (DTM) require a high-tech
steering system that is intuitive to operate and allows multitasking.

 

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