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Cyclists now powering Americas Cup Yachts

by alotronic
Thu, May 18, 2017 16:06
7

Thought you all might like this.... Traditionally the people who go flat out at winches in sailing are called 'grinders'. With a bit ot lateral thinking Team NZ has started to use stationary bikes as winches, turning grinders into what they call 'cyclors'. Makes sense but looks really odd, like the yachts and pedal powered. 

I think the main thing they actually do is manually power up the hydralic ram that is used to adjust the wing sail.

Anyway... the training regime will look kinds familar to many of us...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/S1WvwFgzruA

And the end result looks pretty amazing...

https://www.youtube.com/embed/_gED1bfIuus

Sorry for the links rather than embeds - whatever it says below you can't use objects in these forms.... ah well.

Oh and all these yachts' foil' now, as you will see. 

For me one of the few things more beautiful than a bike is a yacht... but I grew up sailing and cycling 1

If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.

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7 comments

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Jackson | 6 years ago
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Well... it worked out for them. They won it. 

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ChainedToTheWheel | 6 years ago
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//think-tasmania.com/wp-content/uploads/three-peaks-race-06.jpg)

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Al__S | 6 years ago
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This is by no means the first time that pedal power has been used for grinders at the Americas Cup. Genuinly not an innovation!

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alotronic replied to Al__S | 6 years ago
0 likes

Al__S wrote:

This is by no means the first time that pedal power has been used for grinders at the Americas Cup. Genuinly not an innovation!

Yeah but the last people who did it were crap 3 And this is still interesting and fun even if it's not the first time its been tried.

 

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Jackson | 6 years ago
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I wish they'd showed the power outputs from the Wattbikes, would be prepared to bet they'd make anyone but a proper track sprinter s*** themselves. Those crews are seriously fit. They used to have Olympic rowing gold medallist and 2k/5k world record holder Rob Waddell on the team as a grinder.

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Jackson replied to Jackson | 6 years ago
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Jackson wrote:

I wish they'd showed the power outputs from the Wattbikes, would be prepared to bet they'd make anyone but a proper track sprinter s*** themselves. Those crews are seriously fit. They used to have Olympic rowing gold medallist and 2k/5k world record holder Rob Waddell on the team as a grinder.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sailing/2017/05/24/new-zealand-embrace-pedal-...
From the Telegraph they have four guys on bikes in the boat who can do "1000 W for a minute, 1300 W for 30 seconds". That's eye-watering.

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Leviathan | 6 years ago
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If a builder on a mountain bike is not a Cyclist, then I doubt a sailor in a pedalo is one either.

</snobbery>

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