Saddling up on the high seas – the cyclists powering 50-MPH yachts

The article doesn't do a very good job of explaining what they're actually doing, which is providing power to the pumps on the hydraulic systems that control the sails. Sounds like an absolutely wild bit of engineering, shame so much of it is secret...

Global Cycling Network on YouTube did a spot on the American team this year ... fascinating stuff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gvkx6oF_Zyk

Interesting. My first thought was "isn't it wind powered? What are they powering?". Turns out anything below the water line like the hydrofoils are independently battery powered. The cyclists are pedaling to pressurize a hydraulic system that is used to trim and adjust the sails as opposed to the teams working hand crank systems to make adjustments directly. I guess I am just surprised they need that much potential energy for the sails-alone. I'd imagine it's a careful balance between building and storing the energy needed for the next series of adjustments without going too-far and exhausting the crew. Based on the focus on increased wattage output and not increasing resistance with constant output, it sounds to me like they are powering a generator for pressurizing a reservoir versus pressurizing the reservoir directly.

As a kiwi that lived through the Americas cup challenges of the 90s the sport is pretty close to my heart.

These boats are amazing and I’ve been following along this year but it’s the first time I’ve found it harder to connect. Now the team and head down cycling it’s hard to feel the same way as when they were running about the boat.

I’ve sailed a fair amount and love the sport. I love all the boats, monohull, cat, flying, in the water. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. The technical mastery that has created these machines is off the chart. The fact that with just the right shape, you can harness the breeze like they do just defines belief.

Seems to defy classification - is it yachting, cycling or flying?