Pedalling to Americas Cup victory

A lighter note to kick off your weekend: the 35th America’s Cup will be held in Bermuda today. The yacht race will see defending champions Team USA face off against New Zealand for the top prize in a rematch of the 2013 final.

Team New Zealand made it to the final after two harrowing weeks of qualifying races, including when their boat capsized in a race against the British team. They have made it to a final that features not only a sporting rivalry but a national one: while their challengers are nominally from the US, the vessels are mostly crewed Australian, including Olympic champion helmsman Jimmy Spithill.

Along with grit and determination, the New Zealand team has employed a healthy dose of innovation; rather than solely relying on the wind, they’ve employed foot pedals to propel them to the championship. Neither team is seen as having an advantage going into Saturday’s race—if the Kiwis are victorious more racers may consider adapting their innovation.