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When I was a kid, I went to see a museum about rockets. I was very impressed with the control room with all the computers and the millions of figures that the engineers looked at as the rocket took off. It was at this very moment that he decided that he wanted to dedicate myself to this… and I almost got it! Today, I do spend most of my time looking at many screens with millions of figures. But the rockets are of the more aquatic version.
Working with the SailGP circuit and its “flying catamarans”, myself, and a couple of other engineers, are in our mobile office (a customized container) where we have access to more than 20 video streams, connected to the audio of all the boats. , and with graphs and charts that someone working in the stock market would envy.
Clearly this is called “high-level”, and this type of technology is not for ordinary people right? Well today yes! Over the years, the subject of data analysis has become very democratized. Little by little, more tools appear that can help sailors of all levels. There are companies like SEA-ANALYTICS (https://www.sea-analytics.com/ ) that allow you to record a video of your session with a GoPro, and play it on the web, but only showing the “critical moments”, good or bad. bad. Soon, its artificial intelligence functions will be able to give concrete advice, like a virtual coach.
With my company SailingPerformance SL (www.sailingperformance.com) we focus on the figures recorded by the on-board electronics. We have developed post-analysis software tools that are affordable for pros and amateurs alike. But what do we do with these figures? What is the use of data analysis for a ship?
First of all, the data analysis allows to derive an evaluation of the calibration of the instruments, and advice to improve it. They are not much use instruments measuring the wind if each turn indicates a different wind direction. Having confidence in your instruments allows you to make decisions on board with much more confidence.
Once the calibration is improved, we can now investigate what the data can reveal to us. This is a list of the topics we focus on:
– Elaborate or refine the polars of the boat to have realistic targets when sailing (at what speed should my boat go and with what course, given that there is around 11kn of wind) – Have concrete information about the range of my sails to make good decisions on board – Establish what are the “operating points” of my ship. What is the optimum angle of heel during closewinds in a light wind? What is the best longitudinal balance for my boat, and where should my crew sit to improve it?
– Optimize maneuvers. Do I gain more ground by jibing fast, going high but with speed? Or just the opposite, gently, with time in full swing?
– Improve the use of my electronics. What figures do I have to put in my electronics so that it tells me the good prediction of “time to start line”?
– Rationalize what we do not understand. Yesterday we were going like a rocket, but today it seems that we have a bucket stuck in the keel. What has changed?
And much more…
In the future we will address each of these topics with the intention of allowing you to do your own analysis just like the pros do.
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