CRANKING UP THE POWER

The AC75s of the America's Cup are powerhungry beasts. The human input required for sustained foiling and maneuvers on demand is a critical piece of the design puzzle.

- SPENCER POWLISON

AMERICAN Magic's AC75 Patriot glides through the water near Pensacola, Florida, and as it picks up speed with the day's favorable winds, the imposing dark hull rises from the water and begins to plane on its hydrofoils. Crouched near the bow, pedaling furiously, John Croom is lashed by spray. His earpiece crackles with chatter from the rest of the crew. He has watched videos of America's Cup boats. He's logged hundreds of hours of training on land. But this is his first timehis first time on any sailboat.

"Still to this day, that's one of the most euphoric moments I've ever had in my career," Croom says. "Getting the opportunity to sail, and then just feeling that actual takeoff and being on the foils was something super special. That was the day I fell in love with it." While some of sailing's traditionalists bristle at the inclusion of cyclors in lieu of grinders on America's Cup boats, there's no turning back now. The technology will be found on every boat in the 2024 America's Cup.

This novel power-delivery method has opened the door for newcomers like Croom to hop aboard, like throwing a drivers-ed student into a Formula 1. It has also led to a revolution in the way America's Cup teams recruit talent, hone their physiological training, and use cycling know-how to power the AC75's hydraulic controls.

"We're finding that cyclors bring much more power to the table," says Ben Day, American Magic's performance lead. "Cycling uses much bigger muscle groups; therefore, they can produce more power than arm grinders. And with the new AC75 regulations of reducing crew numbers (eight sailors total), we need to find that power in other ways. So, most teams are looking at cyclors at this stage. Glutes, quads and hamstrings can produce more explosive power and more power for a longer sustained period."