America's Cup Production Team Upgrades Data, Augmented Reality, Camera Coverage in New Zealand Craft tracking to 2 cm, good-quality audio, wide social distribution will help attract hardcore and casual fans By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Friday, January 15, 2021 - 11:56 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
The 36th America's Cup Finals begin on March 6, and the battle to see who will face off against New Zealand in them begins this weekend with the first Prada Cup Round Robin race in New Zealand's Hauraki Gulf. For the America's Cup production team, the race begins a new era of technology innovation, new partnerships, and a production with a nice Kiwi feel. At the heart of the production is a new regatta-management system.
The whole production is new for this America's Cup, says Stephen Nuttall, managing director, media and production rights, America's Cup.
The system was built by Igtimi, a sailing-research-development company in Dunedin, NZ, and Riedel (which with WEST4MEDIA formed a joint venture named Circle-O that is the host-broadcast-organizing entity). The system and other new developments will give producer Leon Safton, director Wayne Leonard, and a crew of 75 - half of them from New Zealand - some new tools for creating new looks.
We have lots of people with lots of experience with the America's Cup, says Nuttall. Then we mixed it up with some innovations and people who are new to the Cup.
A media pole on the stern of the America's Cup yachts will transmit video, audio, and data to the production team on shore.
One of those new companies is Riedel, which will handle operation of all the on-board cameras, communications systems via Bolero, and broadband microphones.
They've built the mesh network that goes over the harbor and enables us connectivity with the boats and back to the broadcast center, says Nuttall.
The new regatta system improves the America's Cup production in a number of ways. First, it will allow the racing craft to be tracked within 2 cm, allowing a virtual diamond to be drawn around the yacht to make it easier for the equivalent of a video referee to determine infractions and penalties.
We can track how fast they are moving, how high they are above the water, how much they are tipped forwards and back, Nuttall explains. It's going to be a core part of the broadcast.
The system also allows safety personnel to ensure that spectator craft are where they are supposed to be, the course location is correct, and more.
The boats are the stars of the show, and the yachts this year are arguably the fastest ever for an America's Cup. Known as the AC75 (or America's Cup 75) the 75-ft. sailing hydrofoil monohull yachts have a mast that is eight stories tall. They can hit speeds of up to 50 knots (or about 60 mph). Says Nuttall, boats that large moving that fast are a sight to behold.
Each AC75 has 10 cameras, he explains, one on the bowsprit, one on a media post on the stern used for yacht feeds, two cameras on either side of the mast, and the rest in the areas where the crews are. Three of them are agile, and the others are PTZ cameras. We also have two helicopters, and the plan is for a drone later, and then we have the camera boat. And body-worn cameras will be added later in the Prada Cup.
It is very much a New Zealand affair when it comes to some of the key technologies. Animation Research Ltd (or ARL, as it is more commonly known for its work in augmented-reality graphics) will be at the center of the AR graphics.
ARL has an entirely new system for the graphics, says Nuttall. In the past, it would draw the borders using sensors on the water. Now it is using image processing and AI to work out the borders and markers and draw the graphics accordingly. They don't need data and don't even need to be onsite, but they are: with a crew of only 75, it makes sense to have everyone here.
As for the new look, Nuttall says it was time for a refresh. Liveline technology had been around for a while, and ARL has a long-standing relationship with the Cup and had some new ideas on how to derive graphics based on some of the work the company has been doing in different sports.
The data platform is new, Nuttall adds. Normally, those would be done in separate silos, which made it a bit complicated, disconnected, and therefore not as good. So putting it into one system is a good thing.
Coverage From Sea and Air The camera boat for the America's Cup is the fastest ever, capable of hitting 38 knots, and features a Shotover gyro-stabilized camera on the bow.
Queenstown-based Shotover Systems provides a gyro-stabilized camera system, which is located on the camera boat. Made out of a recycled AC45 yacht, the boat can reach speeds of 38 knots and is the fastest camera boat in the world. London-based Amis Productions will handle the aerial and camera-boat filming.
It's really impressive, says Nuttall. The camera boat bounces around like crazy, and the camera operator can sit there and focus half a mile away and clearly see the faces on the boat. It's amazing.
On the audio side, the production will have broadband microphones from Sennheiser and systems from Riedel on the boats for signal management, allowing viewers to hear what the crew members are saying to each other.
We will get some good-quality audio off the boats, and then the trick is to tell the stories of the races and not get overwhelmed with the details, says Nuttall. We have enough details to keep dedicated fans happy with the coverage and then the world feed for the general audiences.
Racing is scheduled this weekend and for the next three weekends to eliminate one team from the Challenger's Selection Series. The top two challengers will race against each other for the Prada Cu
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/06/2026
blueCORE standalone processors headline solutions designed to simplify the trans...
02/06/2026
If you've kept up with this article series, you know by now where to start w...
02/06/2026
With new DSP configurations and flexible licensing options, Calrec is removing the barriers to virtualised audio, giving broadcasters the freedom to scale produ...
02/06/2026
The TV agency was one of the earliest adopters of Nielsen's local television...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Grass Valley today announced that Australian News Channel (ANC), operator of Sky News Australia, has deployed Grass Valley AMPP to transform its newsroom produc...
02/06/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, announces its new Model 385 Mic/Intercom Beltpack. The Mode...
02/06/2026
The Riedel Group today announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel Networks. She succeeds Michael Martens, who has led Riedel Networks since 2...
02/06/2026
More signals, higher quality, and outstanding ingest and streaming flexibility deliver professional results in a small, all-in-one footprint...
02/06/2026
farmerswife will be featured on the Modena Media & Entertainment stand at this year's Mediatech Africa 2026, giving visitors an opportunity to explore the l...
02/06/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17 19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Trust has become a commercial issue With global advertising spend forecast to exceed US$1 trillion this year*, the commercial consequences of weak governance co...
02/06/2026
June sees Ireland's cultural calendar in full bloom, as RT Supporting the Arts showcases a vibrant and wide-ranging programme spanning music, theatre, visu...
02/06/2026
After The Traitors Ireland launched in 2025, Irish audiences proved to have a taste for the global hit reality show. This Bank Holiday Monday fans can indulge e...
01/06/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
01/06/2026
Designed to solve a common problem in broadcasting, the automated workflow detects, identifies, removes, and documents copyrighted music
AudioShake has introdu...
01/06/2026
The sports-analytics company combines its data with proprietary AI to help leagu...
01/06/2026
Category line-up & sponsors announced
Photo: Paul Clarke
The Production Music Awards (PMA) have announced that submissions are now officially open ahead of...
01/06/2026
New hybrid sample/synthesis instrument revealed
Excite Audio have just released the latest instalment in their Evolve series, which has been developed in co...
01/06/2026
Latest TONEX expansion captures three rare vintage amps
The newest addition to IK Multimedia's ever-growing TONEX line-up introduces a set of three incr...
01/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
01/06/2026
SBS confirms its broadcast sponsors for FIFA World Cup 2026
1 June, 2026
Media releases
SBS has secured Hyundai, Hisense, Macca's, Rexona, bet365, Com...
01/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Days 2026 guided by the motto From Earth to ...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Marshall Electronics is showcasing a comprehensive lineup of next-generation POV cameras, purpose-built to power today's connected AV environments, at InfoC...
01/06/2026
Adobe Announces Concept to Vector
Deepa Subramaniam June 1, 2026
0 Comments
One of the biggest frustrations we hear from designers is how difficult it...
01/06/2026
Vampire Feature Night Patrol Graded with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton June 1, 2026
0 Comments
Colorist shapes dark, gritty tone for horror thri...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/06/2026
Luxembourg, June 1, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, launched fast and reliable multi-orbit satelli...
01/06/2026
Agentic AI is getting physical.
At COMPUTEX on Tuesday, NVIDIA announced NVIDIA JetPack 7.2 and NVIDIA NemoClaw support on NVIDIA Jetson.
JetPack 7.2 brings a...
01/06/2026
Financial institutions have spent years building AI: fraud models, credit models...
01/06/2026
Mardi 2 juin 14h00
FilmLight (ARRI), 10 rue Ren Boulanger, 75010 Paris
Rejoignez-nous pour d couvrir comment FLAPI (l'API FilmLight) peut transformer e...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
31/05/2026
Olivia P rez-Collellmir to Premiere Original Work at Gaud Centennial in Barcelona The Berklee graduate and faculty member will debut her choral symphony with...
31/05/2026
Back to All News
Netflix Wins 15 Awards at the Canadian Screen Awards - See Pho...
31/05/2026
Taiwan is home to more than 500 NVIDIA ecosystem partners. More than 1 million N...
America's Cup Production Team Upgrades Data, Augmented Reality, Camera Coverage in New Zealand Craft tracking to 2 cm, good-quality audio, wide social distribution will help attract hardcore and casual fans By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
