MarkSetBot shines On-Water for America's Cup

MarkSetBot shines On-Water for America's Cup © MarkSetBot

In an extraordinary turn of events, the first Preliminary Regatta leading up to the 37th America's Cup concluded on September 17, 2023, leaving spectators in awe as American Magic secured an impressive victory.

The event, hosted in the picturesque Catalan port of Vilanova i La Geltrú, Spain, tested the mettle of six elite teams amid a rollercoaster of weather conditions. The regatta's practice days offered promising wind conditions, but nature had other plans. A torrential downpour forced a no-race day, followed by challenges on a light air day, making it tough to stay on foil. However, MarkSetBot, the autonomous boundary mark system, proved more reliable than the weather by transforming the spectator race experience in every condition.

MarkSetBot's environmentally conscious and programmatic approach to course management reduced the need for course marshal RIBs and eliminated the disruption of the seabed. Twenty brightly colored Bots delineated a visible boundary for spectators and created a dynamic stadium for the AC40 fleet, ensuring safety and compact racing.

Iain Murray, Regatta Director, commented, "The Bots performed impressively for the first Preliminary Regatta. Setting up and adjusting the 20 stadium boundary marks many times throughout each day of racing was a breeze. The resets took just minutes and equally important, no seabed damage." With 1,089 registered spectator boats over the regatta race days, MarkSetBot's rapid adjustments to the stadium boundary kept spectators close to the action, a feat impossible with traditional anchored buoys.

"MarkSetBot was definitely an enhancement to course operations, Rob Andrews, On Water Operations added. "We were able to adjust the stadium footprint as the racecourse changed with the wind, keeping spectator boats as close as possible to the action. It was also wonderful having founder Kevin Morin on race operations, as he was able to develop new features in real time to simplify management."

The journey continues as MarkSetBot heads to Jeddah for the next Preliminary Regatta, where MarkSetBot will once again prove its mettle by setting up and resetting the stadium boundary as needed.

More information at www.marksetbot.com