Tech and sport the new dream team

The Extreme Sailing Series is in its ninth season, with this year’s eight event tour travelling through Asia, Europe, and Australia. Teams compete in the one design Extreme 40 catamaran, with the format highlighting ‘stadium’ short-course racing in front of the public.

To provide access to fans around the world, races are also broadcast through live video streaming and dynamic SAP Sailing Analytics, with the later also providing greater understanding to the keys for success on the race course.

Through analysing GPS data together with integrated wind measurements from sensors out on the race course, the SAP Sailing Analytics provide sailors with information for post-race analysis, such as in-race ranking, average speeds, distance travelled, gaps to leader and gains and losses per leg.

The systems mean personnel can review and analyse the information provided by SAP Sailing Analytics post-race, identifying areas where they performed well and where they can make improvements.

“SAP works with the Extreme Sailing Series and the SAP Extreme Sailing Team to help deliver cloud based technology solutions enhancing team performance and simplifying how fans and broadcasters stay engaged in the sport from the shoreline,” said Andrew Barkla, president and managing director, SAP Australia and New Zealand.

A new SAP Sailing Analytics solution provides detailed insights into pre-start phase of races, featuring start-line parameters including length, angle to wind, favoured side and advantage in real time. The live leader board displays statistics such as countdown to the start of the race, distance to start line, position where the line has been crossed and start tack.

“Based on feedback from sailors, it was evident that a more efficient approach was required to evaluate pre-start performance,” a SAP spokesperson said. “As in Formula One, Extreme Sailing races are often decided before the start signal – how a team positions itself on the start line can determine the results of the race.

The new data displayed on the live leaderboard provides fans and media with greater insight into the on-water action, while the post-race reports are an important development for teams and media in particular as they enable them to review and compare specific moments in the Series in an easily consumable format.

SAP said the new features and reports are helping the sport become more understandable for less familiar fans and enabling better insights to be provided through media channels.

“SAP’s analytics mean I can stay completely on top of the leader board in real time and how those changes move the overall score board,” said David Carr, Extreme Sailing Series TV commentator. “At the end of the day, when one boat has dominated for example, I can sit down with the SAP technical experts and pick out the key factors that put that boat at the front of the fleet.”

SAP Sailing Analytics – Extreme Sailing Series

Source: Business Spectator