America’s Cup Design Race: American Magic and SKYREAL’s Time Challenge

SKYREAL’s Virtual Reality technology empowers American Magic for the 2024 America’s Cup

The America’s Cup is one of the most prestigious competitions in the world of sailing, where precision, strategy, and design come together to create cutting-edge racing boats. 3 years ago, the New York Yacht Club’s American Magic, a prominent challenger, turned to SKYREAL’s virtual reality solutions to push the boundaries of design and performance in their quest for the Cup.

Virtual Reality as a game changer

In their preparation for the competition, American Magic used innovative tools to optimize the design of their racing boat. The SKYREAL VR platform allowed the team to visualize the boat’s prototype in real-time, at a 1:1 scale, enabling them to work accurately in lifelike conditions. This provided the team with unprecedented access to every design detail.

Dimitri Despierres, mechatronic lead for American Magic,  explain in this video how the team used SKYREAL to optimize the boat design process :

Through immersive VR sessions, American Magic could simulate different scenarios, testing the accessibility and layout of the boat’s interior. These virtual walkthroughs made it possible to tweak configurations and refine key aspects such as the center of mass and trim, enhancing stability and maneuverability.

Saving time and making smart decisions

With the America’s Cup being an elite-level competition, every second of preparation counts. The use of VR not only helped the team visualize design changes but also reduced the time needed for these changes to be implemented. By leveraging virtual simulations, American Magic was able to make informed decisions faster, ultimately refining their boat’s design to achieve the best possible performance.

Quotes from Leadership

According to Terry Hutchinson, President of Sailing Operations of American Magic, “SKYREAL’s virtual reality solution provided us with a unique advantage, allowing us to explore more solutions immersively and effectively than ever before.”

Hugo Falgarone, CEO of SKYREAL, added, “We are thrilled to work closely with American Magic to help push the boundaries of sailing performance. Virtual reality represents a major competitive advantage in industry and in complex project realization.”

A Stepping Stone Towards Future Success

While American Magic will not be the final challenger against Team New Zealand in the 37th America’s Cup, the lessons learned and the innovative approach developed will ensure that the team will come back stronger in the next edition. This experience has not only strengthened their competitive edge but also demonstrated the power of virtual reality in revolutionizing the way high-performance boats are designed.

As we look to the future, SKYREAL remains committed to innovation and will continue to support American Magic in pushing the limits of what’s possible in design.

Read the full press release below for more details on this exciting partnership :

Skyreal Empowered New York Yacht Club American Magic with Cutting-Edge Virtual Reality Solution for America’s Cup Preparation

 

October, 2024, Paris – Skyreal, the leading virtual reality software editor applied to industry, is proud to announce its partnership with New York Yacht Club (NYYC) American Magic, a 2024 challenger for the America’s Cup. Through this collaboration, Skyreal has deployed its cutting-edge virtual reality (VR) technology to provide a tailored VR solution that enhances the preparation of American Magic’s racing boat.

 

The America’s Cup represents the pinnacle of competitive sailing, demanding precision engineering, meticulous strategy, and flawless mastery of every aspect of navigation. In this context, American Magic is constantly seeking ways to optimize performance and maintain their competitive edge.

 

Skyreal’s virtual reality platform has enabled American Magic to create true-to-life 1:1 virtual prototypes of their boat (digital twins), providing an immersive view of every design detail and enabling them to anticipate production steps. By utilizing this groundbreaking technology, the team has conduct accessibility and interior layout tests, thus identifying the best configurations to optimize efficiency on board.

 

Moreover, the immersion in VR helped the team to find the best design trades and, for example, optimize the boat’s center of mass and trim. By testing various configurations and evaluating their effects on the boat’s stability and maneuverability, American Magic was able to make informed decisions to refine its design and performance.

 

“We are thrilled to work closely with American Magic to help push the boundaries of sailing performance,” says Hugo Falgarone, CEO of Skyreal. “Virtual reality represents a major competitive advantage in industry and in the realization of complex projects. In this precise scenario, our cutting-edge VR technology adds a new dimension to American Magic’s preparation process, enabling them to test different configurations and save precious time.”

 

American Magic saw this collaboration as an opportunity to differentiate themselves in the highly competitive sport of competitive sailing. “The America’s Cup is a competition where every detail matters,” explains,Terry Hutchinson, President of Sailing Operations and Skipper for American Magic. “Skyreal’s virtual reality solution provided us with a unique advantage by allowing us to explore more solutions immersively and effectively than ever before. This new way of designing saved us a considerable amount of time in building the best possible boat.”

Skyreal continues to push the boundaries of innovation and excellence in collaboration with leading partners. Although American Magic is no longer in the competition, Skyreal remains committed to showcasing its cutting-edge contributions at the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, Spain, in October 2024.

Stay tuned for further developments as we pursue new opportunities to revolutionize the world of high-performance sailing through technological advancements with NYYC American Magic American Magic on Instagram @AmericanMagicTeam and Facebook @AmericanMagicTeam. Please visit AmericanMagic.com to learn more.

For more information about Skyreal and its virtual reality solutions, please visit www.sky-real.com and follow its linkedin page https://www.linkedin.com/company/skyreal/ to stay updated.

 

About Skyreal

Skyreal is a global leader in developing virtual reality solutions for industry. With its cutting-edge technology, Skyreal transforms how companies design, produce, and operate their products, offering highly immersive virtual environments for collaboration, manufacturing and training.

 

About New York Yacht Club American Magic

American Magic is building the high-performance sailing franchise in the United States with a dual mandate to win the America’s Cup and elevate sailing in America. Formed in 2017, New York Yacht Club American Magic combines two highly successful American racing programs, Bella Mente Racing and Quantum Racing, with one of the most prestigious yacht clubs in the world. All are united by a determination to regain the America’s Cup, reconnect the American sailing base with the premier event in the sport, and elevate the quality of competitive sailing in the United States.