SailGP is unveiling several new tech solutions at its U.S.-based races this month, including in L.A. last weekend and S.F. between March 22 and 23.
AI-Powered Race Marks
New this past weekend and moving forward, SailGP will be using artificial intelligence to automatically position its race marks in between heats.
As SailGP Chief Technology Officer Warren Jones explains, the league maps seven or eight different courses that could be used for races within the timeframe of an event but ultimately ends up using four on average. Those chosen courses are dictated by wind patterns.
“We don’t go against the wind, we go across the wind -- and the wind changes,” Jones said. “If the wind [changes] 180 degrees, then therefore the race course is going to change 180 degrees with it.”
Previously, SailGP outlined its courses by sending staff out in boats to drag the race marks. Following several rounds of testing, the marks now move autonomously, combining sensor data from the marks and boats (processed through Oracle Cloud) and electric motors provided by ePropulsion.
AI Cameras
SailGP produces video of its races remotely, including its camera operators, who control on-site cameras from their London studio.
Moving forward, the four cameras on each race mark will be AI-powered and move autonomously based on a framework of four billion potential “events” that could happen during a rate, which SailGP has compiled and prioritized to inform camera decisions. SailGP also installs three cameras on each boat and utilizes angles from chase boats, helicopters and the shore during races.
“When we get a bit of information, [like] the data saying that the hull is 63% out of the water -- 75% of that time means that there’s going to be a capsize,” Jones explained. “We know where every boat is, within one centimeter. We know where every boat should be within 30 seconds. And if there’s something we think could be a collision, that could be two boats coming together, we’ll get the cameras there.”
Immersive Fan Experiences
SailGP is also bringing its AI-powered LiveLineFX graphics system, which won this year’s Best in Fan Experience category at the SBA: Tech Awards, to fans on site. Through an integration within SailGP’s mobile app, fans will be able to point their smartphone at races and view live, interactive graphics overlaid on the water, which depict everything from boundary lines to race stats to boat tracking data.
“It’s an incredible ability to showcase something where you need a screen to tell you what’s going on,” Jones said. “[Without the graphics], it’s a spectacle, but you still need to work out where the boats are going and where they’ve been and what speed they’re doing. We think it’s a game-changer for our spectators in our venues.”
SailGP will have specialty cameras on each of its boats to produce virtual reality segments that fans can view in Apple Vision Pro or Meta Quest headsets, including in a VIP space at the race venue. Jones said these segments be available as highlights -- i.e., not live -- for the time being.
