In most sports with a high incidence of technology, developments are carried out in the most absolute secrecy, with measures that seem almost like something out of a movie. The Copa América, on the other hand, is different. Even though engineers work tirelessly to come up with something new that can be beneficial to your team, espionage is something that is done in broad daylight by the organization itself. The information collected is even shared through the official channels of the competition, so that everyone can access it. Fans included.
“Competitors work hard for two or three years before the actual regatta starts. And, despite the fact that the competition has a large following, many of whom are also very interested in the more technical aspects, there is very little access to what the different teams do to prepare for it. We wanted to fill that gap, and centralizing espionage with official reconnaissance teams, who work for the governing body, allows us to offer them information on a daily basis,” he says. And Bernasconitechnical director of Emirates Team New Zealand, the current defending champion.
“When we were sailing out of Auckland to prepare for the previous campaign, we often had several pursuit boats looking out for us, one for each of our competitors. The fact of centralizing this recognition as a service available to all translates into significant money savings for teams. And, in addition, it also means an improvement in the safety conditions of the training », he highlights. The decision, however, initially raised some suspicions.
«To participate in the Copa América, you have to subscribe to the rules written by the defending champion, in this case Emirates Team New Zealand, and the first challenger, INEOS Britannia, so, in fact, the rest of the competitors had no choice. than to agree Yes, there was some initial skepticismBut now that this program has been running for a while, everyone appreciates its value and everyone supports it. The quality, both of the videos and of the photos, is also really good”, Bernasconi reiterates. Competitors, on the other hand, can’t keep any aces up their sleeves in their tests either.
“The rules are clear: there is very little scope to protect your assets from the eyes of reconnaissance teams. Of course, they are not allowed to act within the bases of the different competitors, but, once the doors of the ship are opened and the boat touches the water, there is nowhere to hide, “says the technical director of Emirates Team New Zealand.