Not widely considered an extreme sport, sailing is about to gain a whole new audience as the new America’s Cup reveals just how heart-pounding and dangerous the sport can be. Connecting viewers to the racing in ways not previously possible, the America’s Cup will transform the way people see the sport. With breakthrough graphics, athlete’s view cameras and on board microphones, viewers will see and hear the quick decisions being made, the athleticism of the sailors, the raw power of the boats – live, as the teams fly over the water at speeds of up to 35 mph.
“Extreme sport lovers will flock to this new America’s Cup because of the broadcast,” said Richard Worth, Chairman, America’s Cup Event Authority (ACEA). “From heart-pounding maneuvers at breakneck speeds to capsizes that result in two-story falls for the athletes, viewers will not just see the action, they will feel like they are right in it.”
The backbone of this new experience is also a breakthrough in sports broadcasting – augmented reality from a helicopter. This will be the first time live graphic insertions have been done from a moving platform.
Developed by the same team that developed the yellow first-down line widely used in the broadcast of American football and the Race/FX tracking and highlighting system used in NASCAR, this revolutionary graphics system will have a similar effect on the America’s Cup, connecting new audiences to the sport by creating greater understanding. The superimposed graphic elements will be used as technical aids for viewers, such as ahead-behind lines that can enable audiences to clearly see who is leading the race.
What do you think? Is this going to change the way the rest of the world views the sport of sailing?
For the complete story, go to www.americascup.com.
