Oracle has niftiest way to pick a windshift

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Oracle BMW have a big part of New Zealand technology on their side.

But will it be enough to give them the edge when they take on OneWorld in the Louis Vuitton Cup semifinal repechage today?

Continuing an arrangement started six years ago by American Bob Billingham, Oracle have access to the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research weather buoy.

Bobbing up and down alongside two similar buoys near the top mark on one of the three cup courses, the $250,000 Niwa buoy sends constant information to the Oracle team.

"It has been very successful," said Niwa's Auckland manager Gavin Fisher. "The arrangement follows a similar deal we had with AmericaOne for the 2000 regatta.

"We again offered the service to Team New Zealand but they balked at the cost. Oracle has paid several hundred thousand dollars to secure sole rights to the information the buoy provides.

"As I understand it, Team New Zealand has their own Axis buoy out there alongside ours and the one - a tiny little thing - provided by the organisers for the use of all syndicates."

The buoy is 10m high, which allows the information to be gathered close to the point of pressure - about 10m above the deck of America's Cup yachts.

"We can tell pretty accurately what the weather is doing. The information we gather is more usable than that available to other syndicates."

Damaged by vandals three years ago, Fisher said little of the original buoy remains.

"Almost all critical gear has been replaced this time. The parts are not cheap. A wave sensor costs around $80,000, the wind sensors are about $20,000 each."

What would Joe Public see for that kind of money if they happened alongside the bobbing buoy? "Not much really. Just a gadget full of wind sensors, solar panels and a beacon light."

But it does the job. How well, the Oracle team will know over the next few days.

Before the last cup, Brad Butterworth, as a Team New Zealand member, criticised Niwa for "selling out to the enemy" in working with the Americans.

Fisher rejected that, saying it was a commercial decision with the priority recovering the not inconsiderable costs.

"This time we are selling information which is worth $500,000 to Niwa."

nzherald.co.nz/americascup

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