Kiwis to support Emirates Team NZ through HP simulator

As Emirates Team New Zealand races to keep New Zealand’s hopes of bringing the America’s Cup home alive, HP New Zealand is offering Kiwis at home the chance to get involved and support the crew.

A cycle grinder simulator based in Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter will allow people to jump on one of four stationary watt bikes and race in a 30-second sprint to see who can generate the most grind power. The simulator will be open to the public for three weekends in a row, starting on Saturday 10th June. Photos of those who participate will be shared with a message of support for the crew in Bermuda.

The team’s professional grinders are known to sustain 1,300 watts over a 30 second sprint, while the average person can cycle at around 700 watts over the same period. HP has designed the cycle grind simulator to help drive support for the crew and to give Kiwis a taste of what it’s like to compete in the most extreme high-speed sailing event in the world. The simulator will include a live leader board for participants to see how they stack up against their friends, family and the Emirates Team New Zealand crew, along with prizes for the day’s top performers.

HP’s cutting edge on-board technology, including HP ZBook workstations and HP EliteBook notebooks, sensors and strain gauges embedded in the dagger boards, is helping the crew to crunch the numbers, analyse critical data and fine-tune in real time. The team are currently processing up to 50GB of data from video and 30 onboard sensors, analysing water temperature and salinity, and gauging wing controls, rudders and the power generated by the cycle grinders in real time. The data allows crew members to make split second decisions when it matters most and has helped to push the boundaries of traditional America’s Cup sailing.

“HP New Zealand is keenly following the America’s Cup and we are extremely proud to be an Official Supplier to Emirates Team New Zealand, helping them to create an innovative and dynamic hi-tech environment onboard the boat, which we hope will give them an edge over their competitors,” said Grant Hopkins, Managing Director, HP New Zealand. “The team is competing a long way from home so with the cycle grinder simulator we wanted to create a way for Kiwis at home to demonstrate their support and let them know we’re backing them all the way to reclaim the America’s Cup for New Zealand’s trophy cabinet.”

Date: Saturday 10th – Sunday 11th June, 2017

Saturday 17th – Sunday 18th June, 2017

Saturday 24th – Sunday 25th June, 2017

Time: 10am – 4pm

Location: Wynyard Quarter, Auckland

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