America's Cup Comes to San Francisco: Technology Under Sail

This is the 2013 "Summer of Racing" with some of the most sophisticated technology ever deployed in both America’s Cup racing and for the televised coverage of the race itself. The Museum is excited to host this special panel just before the America’s Cup finals in September. Our guests include Tom Ehman, Vice Commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht Club and Executive Director, America’s Cup Properties, Jimmy Spithill, Helmsman and Skipper of Oracle Team USA Racing, and the man behind the technology driving the race, Stan Honey, Director of Technology, America's Cup Event Authority.

We will learn about the challenges inherent in televising sailing and how those challenges were overcome with Stan Honey and his "A-Team." Honey, who invented the virtual first-down line for the NFL and strike-zone tracking for MLB (winning Emmys for both), will talk about the augmented reality system he is created for sailing, LiveLine, which helps distinguish who is in the lead, between-boat distances and other data to help viewers more easily follow the competition.

We will learn more about the technology deployed in the command center, the boats and on board the helicopters following the boats. Ehman and Spithill are both America's Cup veterans and will bring their own unique perspectives to the conversation.

John Hollar is our intrepid moderator and up for the challenge of navigating an exciting and educational conversation with some world-class sailors. We are certain that after attending you will be energized about watching the America's Cup finals – either in person or on television!

We are very pleased that KQED Radio will be on-site taping this event for broadcast Thursday, August 29 at 8pm.

This event is part of the Museum’s acclaimed Revolutionaries speaker series, featuring renowned innovators, business and technology leaders, and authors in enthralling conversations often with leading journalists. Our audiences learn about the process of innovation, its risks and rewards, and failure that led to ultimate success.