Ayrton Oneill
The America's Cup boat now has a smaller crew, so to generate the same power, athletes have switched from using their arms to using their legs to pedal. This is known as 'cycloring'. The harder and faster the athletes pedal, the more power is available to the boat.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Minimum crew weight | Four cyclors and four afterguard |
| How to win | Harness the increased force production of the crew's glutes, quads and hamstrings |
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What You'll Learn
- The rules of the America's Cup require a minimum crew weight for the four cyclors and the four afterguard that pilot the vessel
- The Emirates Team New Zealand won in 2017 by harnessing the increased force production of their crew's glutes, quads and hamstrings
- The role of the Head of Performance is to identify and train the elite cyclor squad
- The Head of Performance, Day, says that the sport is not about power-to-weight but absolute power
- The Cup has become a lot more about continual grinding
The rules of the America's Cup require a minimum crew weight for the four cyclors and the four afterguard that pilot the vessel
The switch from "grinders", who generate power with their arms, to cyclors was made to get the same power output from a smaller crew. Human power is used to pump hydraulic fluid on the foiling boats.
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The Emirates Team New Zealand won in 2017 by harnessing the increased force production of their crew's glutes, quads and hamstrings
The Emirates Team New Zealand won the America's Cup in 2017 by harnessing the increased force production of their crew's glutes, quads and hamstrings. The team switched from "grinders" who crank away with their arms, to "cyclors" who pedal with their legs. The cyclors generate power for the systems on the boat, such as the winches for hoisting/trimming sails, and for the deploying/retracting the hydro foils. The harder and faster they pedal, the more rapidly power is available. The cyclors' swift trimming of the sails improves the boat's agility and responsiveness.
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The role of the Head of Performance is to identify and train the elite cyclor squad
The Head of Performance will need to identify athletes with the strength and endurance to keep up a swift pace throughout the race, as they cannot stop pedalling to take a break. Their athletic performance directly affects the race outcome.
Training will need to focus on building and maintaining the strength and endurance required for the role. The Head of Performance will also need to ensure the cyclors are able to work together as a team to coordinate their pedalling and generate power efficiently.
In addition, the Head of Performance will need to be aware of the technical aspects of the role, such as the fluid-coupled gear train that transfers human energy to the winches, and the hydraulic system that the cyclors power. They will need to train the cyclors to understand these systems and how their performance affects them.
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The Head of Performance, Day, says that the sport is not about power-to-weight but absolute power
The current America's Cup boat calls for a smaller crew, so to get the same power out of their athletes, they switched from "grinders" who crank away with their arms, to "cyclors" who pedal with their legs. On the foiling boats, human power is used to pump hydraulic fluid. Whether arm or leg power, the human energy goes directly into the winches via a (fluid coupled) gear train.
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The Cup has become a lot more about continual grinding
The current America's Cup boat calls for a smaller crew, so to get the same power out of their athletes, they switched from "grinders" who crank away with their arms, to "cyclors" who pedal with their legs. Whether arm or leg power, the human energy goes directly into the winches via a (fluid coupled) gear train. The electrical needs of a sailing boat are low enough that batteries, charged onshore, can power the boat through even multi-day races.
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Frequently asked questions
Peddling on an America's Cup boat generates power for the boat's systems, such as the winches for hoisting/trimming sails and deploying/retracting the hydro foils.
The harder and faster the cyclors pedal, the more rapidly power is available to the boat. This improves the boat's agility and responsiveness.
The current America's Cup boat calls for a smaller crew, so to get the same power out of their athletes, they switched from "grinders" who use their arms, to cyclors who use their legs.
No, the cyclors cannot stop peddling during a race as they need to constantly top off the hydraulic system. Therefore, athletic performance, strength, and endurance directly affect race outcomes.
