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Capgemini and America’s Cup Media give the 37th a new dimension^th America’s Cup experience with WindSight IQ™

Groundbreaking technology will visualise the wind live on screen, allowing fans and commentators to better understand optimal routes and team tactics and making coverage of the sport more accessible than ever before.

Paris, 22 August 2024 – Capgemini and the America’s Cup Media today unveiled WindSight IQ™, the product innovation they will bring to the broadcast of the Louis Vuitton 37^th America’s Cup, as part of their global partnership Announced earlier this year. For the first time, spectators and race commentators can see the wind and its variations on the race course in real time. In addition, a yacht simulator uses the wind data to calculate the optimal routes on the course, allowing commentators and spectators to predict what the teams should do on the water or analyse how teams could have won a race. WindSight IQ™ is a masterpiece of engineering and design and means that commentators and spectators have more data and insight into the pinnacle event in international sailing than is available to the competing teams on the water.

Technology is now an essential part of fans’ sports coverage
Viewing habits are changing, according to a recent study by the Capgemini Research Institute¹ 84% of fans say new technology has improved their overall viewing experience. With 77% of Gen Z and 75% of Millennials preferring to watch sports outside of live events, the on-screen viewing experience is more important than ever. Wind patterns are a key factor in sailing that can change the course of a race and make the difference between winning and losing. For the first time, these wind patterns are displayed and visualized by WindSight IQ™ to give the racing experience a whole new dimension for fans and broadcasters.

“WindSight IQ™ is an innovation that America’s Cup Media has been evaluating for a long time. Our aim was to make another quantum leap by using technology to improve the understanding of sailing and the intricacies that sailors at the top of our sport must master. But to achieve our goal, we needed to find a partner that was equally motivated to push the boundaries of technology and innovation, which Capgemini clearly was. For the Louis Vuitton 37^th America’s Cup WindSight IQ™ is a significant step forward for the consumption of our sport,” explains Grant Dalton, CEO of the America’s Cup event. “Four elements determine the race winner: the boat design, the team, the water and the wind. Before and during the race, commentators can now see the wind patterns in real time and explain to viewers the options for the competing yachts. The ability to see the invisible wind and compare the teams’ actual performances and tactical decisions with the optimal routes means that the audience can follow and engage with the race on a whole new level. We are really looking forward to the impact of WindSight IQ™ brings to this year’s Louis Vuitton 37^th The television experience at the America’s Cup.”

Making the wind visible to millions in real time
Due to the technical challenge, no one has been able to accurately demonstrate the visualization of wind in real-time under yacht racing conditions – until now. Capgemini and America’s Cup Media, the event’s host broadcaster, are combining their expertise in technology, engineering, data and design and will use LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), sensor fusion and scientific calculations to display the wind in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) graphics. The wind field data will also be fed into a yacht simulator in real-time and used to create a live “ghost boat” simulation that can be projected onto the race course using AR and VR graphics, showing the optimal path that crews should take given measured variations in wind pressure, wind shear, orientation and speed.

To accurately capture raw wind data, three LiDARs have been positioned along Barcelona’s waterfront overlooking the race course, scanning the entire race area. Each LiDAR has an average scanning range of 6.5 km to a maximum of 12 km, measuring wind speeds of up to 38 m/s (73 knots) every 1.5 meters from 0 to 12 km with an accuracy of ™. The LiDARs are supplemented with wind data directly from the wind sensors on the racing yachts and buoys. All of these data streams are merged using innovative algorithms to create a wind field over the entire race course. The wind field is updated every second based on the sensor measurements and predictive wind models.

“Through technological innovation that combines laser sensor technology with advanced engineering and new visualization techniques,™ brings the digital and physical worlds together,” explains Keith Williams, Capgemini’s Chief Engineer for WindSight IQ™. “The wind plays a crucial role in the decisions made by the teams during the race. Through visualisation, spectators can now see and understand the detailed pattern of wind speed and direction on the race track, as well as the best possible routes. The key challenge of this innovation is to combine engineering and design; to accurately capture the complex patterns of the wind, while presenting them in a way that fans and commentators can easily see and understand. Our aim is to enhance coverage of the Louis Vuitton 37^th The America’s Cup is more exciting and thrilling than ever before.”

WindSight IQ™ is a turnkey solution developed, built and operated through a partnership between America’s Cup Media and Capgemini, combining technology, engineering, data and design expertise to provide America’s Cup Media’s broadcast systems with real-time wind field visualizations and AR/VR designs. The three LiDARs used as part of the solution are supplied by LUMIBIRD.

Transforming sport through technology and innovation
The Louis Vuitton 37^th The partnership with the America’s Cup builds on Capgemini’s already strong track record of enhancing fan experience and sporting performance through its sports sponsorships.

• For the 2023 Ryder Cup, Capgemini provided Outcome IQ, a tool that puts the intelligence of real-time data in the hands of every fan, helping to improve the fan experience by tracking outcome probabilities stroke by stroke.
• As a global partner of the Rugby World Cup France 2023, Capgemini played a central role in several areas to support the smooth running of the tournament and enhance the fan experience.
• As part of a multi-year partnership with Peugeot Sport, Capgemini is providing its expertise in advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence to Peugeot Sport’s experts. Capgemini is providing the Peugeot 9X8 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) program team with advanced digital tools and analytics to improve the performance of the team and the Peugeot 9X8 Hypercar.

High resolution images are available upon request.

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About Capgemini
Capgemini is a global business and technology transformation partner, helping organizations accelerate their dual transition to a digital and sustainable world while creating tangible impact for business and society. It is a responsible and diverse group with 340,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With a strong heritage spanning over 55 years, its clients trust Capgemini to unlock the value of technology to cover the full range of their business needs. Capgemini offers end-to-end services and solutions that leverage strengths from strategy and design to engineering. All this is based on its market-leading capabilities in AI, cloud and data, combined with its deep industry expertise and partner ecosystem. The group achieved global revenues of €22.5 billion in 2023.
Get the future you want | www.capgemini.com

About the America’s Cup
The America’s Cup is the oldest international sporting trophy (it dates back to 1851) and is considered one of the toughest sporting endeavors. The New York Yacht Club held the trophy for 132 years before losing it to Australia in 1983. Since then, the Cup has only been won by teams from the United States, Switzerland and New Zealand. The current defending champion of the America’s Cup is Emirates Team New Zealand, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

The Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup will take place from 22.^and August and 22^and October 2024 in the beating heart of Barcelona, ​​one of the most visited cities in the world. Around Port Vell and along the beach to Port Olympic, the sailing world has made Barcelona its home for one of the most exciting America’s Cups in the event’s 174-year history.

¹ A whole new ball game – Why sports technology is changing the game, Capgemini Research Institute, June 2023

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