Unleashing Precision: Advanced Navigation Fuels Orient Express in the high-stakes America’s Cup

Advanced Navigation, a global leader in robotics and navigation technology, has been selected by the Orient Express Racing Team as its navigation provider for the prestigious 37th America’s Cup.

Set to take place from August 22nd in Barcelona, Spain, the America’s Cup will gather sailing teams from New Zealand, France, the UK, Switzerland, Italy and USA in an adrenaline-fueled, first-to-seven-wins race series. Orient Express, led by Stephan Kandler and Bruno Dubois, co-partners of K-Challenge, will represent France.

Advanced Navigation’s rugged inertial navigation systems (INS), Spatial FOG Dual and Certus – will support the team’s AC40 and AC75 yachts with precision navigation, as they sail across open waters at speeds up to 55 knots (102 km/h), battling Barcelona winds averaging 12 knots (22 km/h).

Formula One of the Seas with High Stakes

The America’s Cup, often described as the “Formula One of the Seas,” is renowned for its elite competition, cutting-edge technology, high stakes, and team endurance.

Orient Express Racing Team’s Head of Electronics & Mechatronics, David Gautier shares, “To dominate in the America’s Cup, our AC75 needs a navigation system that can handle the unpredictable and chaotic conditions of open water —where wind, currents, and weather can shift unexpectedly. Advanced Navigation will be critical in helping the crew during its training to make lightning-quick manoeuvres on course direction and sail adjustments, giving us a competitive edge in preparation for races.

Their solutions provide us with the technological edge we need to improve. With precise measurements of orientation, speed, and acceleration, our team can make split-second decisions in real time, ensuring we stay on the fastest path to success.”

Championing High-Performance Engineering with Data

In a tight series, where champions are crowned by mere seconds, a high-performance navigation system can be the difference between glory or loss.

An INS uses sensors to detect and measure the change in an object’s motion. Specifically, Advanced Navigation’s Spatial FOG Dual employs accelerometers and gyroscopes to measure a yacht’s speed, roll, pitch, heave and heading in real time, ensuring boat stability and optimised guidance when performing difficult manoeuvres, such as tacks and gybes.

During a tack, the Spatial FOG Dual continuously monitors roll to maintain speed and balance. Pitch data helps adjust the trim and sail position for a smooth transition. Heave measurements allow the crew to anticipate and react to vertical movements, minimising wave impact. For heading, the system provides accurate directional data for precise course adjustments. It delivers this information at a high-frequency output rate of 1000 Hz, outperforming similar INS units.

In gybes, where the wind shifts from one side to the other, the system manages rapid changes in roll, pitch, heave, and heading, ensuring stability and speed of the yacht.

All boats entered into this year’s America’s Cup will feature standardised controls, sails, foils and mechanisms. This means the real competitive edge comes down to having accurate real-time data and intel to pull off complex manoeuvres with razor-sharp precision and maximum efficiency.

Enhancing Competitive Edge on the World Stage

The AC75, the official 37th America’s Cup boat, is a foiling monohull measuring 20.7 metres in length. Created for the 36th edition, this boat is second generation and can foil above the water at over 100km/h. The boat will be leveraging Advanced Navigation’s Spatial FOG Dual INS.

New for the 37th America’s Cup, the AC40 is a multi-use one-design foiling monohull. Smaller but no less powerful than its big sister the AC75, the AC40 utilises Advanced Navigation’s Certus INS. Sailed by a crew of four, it is the official boat for the Youth and Women’s America’s Cup events.

Lastly, the team’s chaser boat, which follows the AC75 and AC40 to enhance the safety and efficiency during training, is equipped with an Advanced Navigation GNSS Compass.

Advanced Navigation CEO, Chris Shaw, shares, “A huge part of what makes the America’s Cup so competitive and exciting to watch is the technology involved. In the high-stakes open water race where every split-second counts, real-time data recording and analysis is the ultimate advantage. This makes it the perfect stadium to demonstrate the capabilities of our high-grade navigation technology.

Our partnership with Orient Express underscores our dedication to innovate solutions to withstand complex and challenging environments where performance and precision are non-negotiable. We look forward to seeing our technology support Orient Express in their race to victory.”

Advanced Navigation ultimately provides the Orient Express Racing Team with a comprehensive suite of marine navigation solutions, ensuring unmatched precision and performance across their fleet of boats.

Key dates & timeline

• The official Opening Ceremony was held in Barcelona on 22 August 2024.
• The Challenger Selection Series will be held between that date and the end of September 2024.
• The America’s Cup Match between the winning Challenger and the Defender Team New Zealand will start on October 12, 2024.

For more information, visit the America’s Cup official website.