Sequoiah1
Well-Known Member
This excerpt from a story today! I am sure everyone here will be clamouring to buy one of these little fellas to keep by the helm.....................................
'The Cutting Edge
Valencia Sailing spoke with Phil Rogers, CEO and President Catch the Wind, a company that's providing BMW Oracle with a laser sensor that could measure the wind up to 1,000 meters ahead
Valencia Sailing: What does the Racer's Edge exactly do? Phil Rogers: It's a laser device, about the size of a large pair of binoculars, that can measure the wind up to a distance of 1,000 meters in multiple ranges, enabling to you to get a map of the wind up to 1,000 meters, at multiple ranges. So, a sailing team has a tactical advantage because they can see where the best wind is, one kilometer ahead of them.
Racer's Edge measures wind speed and direction at 400m, 700m and 1,000m ahead. As a result, you just point the device where you want to and you'll get wind speed and direction along that line of sight in those three different distances. You just push the fire button and you instantaneously know that data at those three different distances. The intervals (400m, 700m and 1,000m) of this particular device BMW Oracle are using have been preset at the factory but it's something that can be adjusted.
The device has Bluetooth wireless capability, so it can be connected to an onboard computer....
It also has a wing-profiling mode, depending on how far up you point it. If you point at different angles up from the horizon it will also provide a vertical profile of the wind. So, depending on where you point it, you'll get a horizontal and a vertical profile of the wind. There's two modes of operation.
Valencia Sailing: Is this device custom-made for BMW Oracle or is the first piece of a commercial product?
Phil Rogers: It's a combination. It has some features that we worked with BMW Oracle, that we were specifically asked to incorporate, especially in the software side, but it was basically something that we built to our own specifications as a general device for yacht racing.
Valencia Sailing: How much does it cost?
Phil Rogers: The model BMW Oracle is currently using is called the Racer's Edge Professional Model. It is the very top of the line, high end version of the device with cutting-edge technology, a lot of built-in features specifically for the very high-end professional sailors and is offered for sale at US$ 149,500. It's not only aimed at yacht racing but some of the top cruising yachts could certainly benefit from this technology. We will have in the very near future, other models of this device, including one much more geared towards the general sailor'
Any takers?
'The Cutting Edge
Valencia Sailing spoke with Phil Rogers, CEO and President Catch the Wind, a company that's providing BMW Oracle with a laser sensor that could measure the wind up to 1,000 meters ahead
Valencia Sailing: What does the Racer's Edge exactly do? Phil Rogers: It's a laser device, about the size of a large pair of binoculars, that can measure the wind up to a distance of 1,000 meters in multiple ranges, enabling to you to get a map of the wind up to 1,000 meters, at multiple ranges. So, a sailing team has a tactical advantage because they can see where the best wind is, one kilometer ahead of them.
Racer's Edge measures wind speed and direction at 400m, 700m and 1,000m ahead. As a result, you just point the device where you want to and you'll get wind speed and direction along that line of sight in those three different distances. You just push the fire button and you instantaneously know that data at those three different distances. The intervals (400m, 700m and 1,000m) of this particular device BMW Oracle are using have been preset at the factory but it's something that can be adjusted.
The device has Bluetooth wireless capability, so it can be connected to an onboard computer....
It also has a wing-profiling mode, depending on how far up you point it. If you point at different angles up from the horizon it will also provide a vertical profile of the wind. So, depending on where you point it, you'll get a horizontal and a vertical profile of the wind. There's two modes of operation.
Valencia Sailing: Is this device custom-made for BMW Oracle or is the first piece of a commercial product?
Phil Rogers: It's a combination. It has some features that we worked with BMW Oracle, that we were specifically asked to incorporate, especially in the software side, but it was basically something that we built to our own specifications as a general device for yacht racing.
Valencia Sailing: How much does it cost?
Phil Rogers: The model BMW Oracle is currently using is called the Racer's Edge Professional Model. It is the very top of the line, high end version of the device with cutting-edge technology, a lot of built-in features specifically for the very high-end professional sailors and is offered for sale at US$ 149,500. It's not only aimed at yacht racing but some of the top cruising yachts could certainly benefit from this technology. We will have in the very near future, other models of this device, including one much more geared towards the general sailor'
Any takers?
