Please select your home edition
Edition
Switch One Design

America's Cup- Confessions of a Wingman

by www.ENTZBlog.com on 16 Mar 2013
Glenn Ashby (white sunglasses) trimming the wingsail aboard NZL5 Chris Cameron/ETNZ http://www.chriscameron.co.nz

Glenn Ashby describes his job as wing trimmer on Emirates Team NZ's AC72 as a bit like driving a truck.

The multiple A-Cat world champion, Olympic Silver medalist, and former Tornado cat world champion, is talking a really big truck with a 32-speed gearbox as it traveling up and down a series of hills and turns.

The driver, he says, must always think ahead, two or three moves ahead. And that’s what he does on board the AC72.

Glenn’s changing gears (adjusting the wing trim) almost constantly. Either driving a truck and trimming the wingsheet, or with the hydraulics, so there’s never a time when he’s not thinking, looking for the breeze ahead and changes in wind patterns – thinking about the next gear change to achieve best performance.

The wing is set up differently for different modes – upwind a low fast mode or high, slower mode for instance. Racing downwind, the wing set up has a huge influence on the boat’s performance and must be used accurately with the front sails, making for dozens of small adjustments throughout the leg.

'Anticipating the next gear change and executing it well, is where big gains can be made over your opponent,' says the former Australian sailmaker.

'Dean Barker, James Dagg, Ray Davies and I work closely on boat speed – effectively managing the speed and angle of the boat. It’s a team effort for best round-the-track speed and we all need to be on the same page.'

'It’s like sailing a double-handed dinghy in a way – the forward hand controls the mainsheet and the helm steers and they work together to extract maximum speed. It’s a bit like that on the AC72, but with a lot more buttons and strings to play with.

'To be effective we have to have good communication so we each know instinctively what the other is thinking. That’s one of the reasons time on the water is extremely valuable.'

Glenn recalls the first time they got up on the foils downwind. 'I’ll never forget looking through the tramp at the daggerboard going through the water – and knowing it was supporting the entire boat and the crew at close to 40 knots.

'It had been something that we had been working on for a very long time and to see it at AC72 scale was pretty awesome and a great feeling.'

'Part of me was saying ‘that’s not right’ and the other part was saying ‘this is exactly how it’s supposed to be. By getting rid of a lot of the drag the hulls are effectively just going along for the ride and something to sit on!.'

He admits to having more than a passing thought then about 'knowing if the foil goes bang or we have a hydraulic failure it would be very easy to capsize the boat.'

He says the team is pushing boundaries of foil and hull technologies to places where they have 'never been pushed before. It took a massive effort by a lot of people to get the boat up and foiling stably – a massive full team effort.'

'Now as a sailing team, we must continue to learn how to sail the boat to its full potential and keep pushing ourselves and the boundaries to the limits. A lot of the time we’re pushing into the unknown, but that’s what makes what we are doing so special. Hopefully the path we have chosen is the correct one.'

Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 350Pantaenius Sail 2025 AUS FooterBarton Marine Pipe Glands

Related Articles

Rolex Fastnet Race/Admirals' Cup: Big questions
"So far we've under performed as a boat in the Admirals' Cup. We're looking to put that right." The defending Rolex Fastnet champion, Caro (NZL) faces some big questions given their performances to date in the Admirals' Cup. However the Botin 52 has a reputation for scoring strongly in longer offshore racing - will they repeat in 2205?
Posted today at 10:47 pm
Canada's entry into the iconic Rolex Fastnet Race
Team Be Water Positive returns to settle unfinished business Canada Ocean Racing - Be Water Positive will line up this weekend for the centenary edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race, one of the most iconic offshore races in the world.
Posted today at 7:23 pm
Fuerteventura PWA Grand Slam Day 7
Sarah-Quita Offringa survives Super Final scare to earn 16th Freestyle world title Sarah-Quita Offringa survives Super Final scare to earn 16th Freestyle world title and 27th overall, while Yentel Caers powers to victory in Men's.
Posted today at 3:02 pm
Vaikobi V-DRY-X Team Kit
We speak to Pat Langley and Bart Milczarczyk V-DRY-X is a major launch for the Australian technical clothing brand Vaikobi, launching into the yacht racing team market with high performance outer layer clothing specifically designed to be customised with the branding and colours of that team.
Posted today at 12:59 pm
Admiral's Cup Tom Hicks Thursday Photo Gallery
He is always ready to capture Solent action Tom Hicks is always ready to capture Solent action, and the Admiral's Cup naturally delivered. These shots are from Thursday 24th July 2025.
Posted today at 9:27 am
WASZP Games 2025 Day 4 Photo Gallery
A snapshot of the day by Mark Jardine It was a case of grabbing the wind and sunshine while it lasted on Day 4 of the 2025 WASZP Games, and each of the fleets got a bit of racing in before the rain started to fall and the breeze died away.
Posted today at 6:35 am
Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race Preview
This year's edition is looking to break the light wind pattern and possibly set new records The Noakes Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race (NSGCYR) has long been regarded as a cornerstone of any Australian offshore yachtie's calendar.
Posted today at 6:16 am
Admiral's Cup Inshore Racing Day 3
Youth, grit and glory define inshore battle The final day of inshore racing at the 2025 Admiral's Cup delivered high drama, high stakes and no shortage of action, especially at race starts. Three intense races pushed crews to the limit and completed the six-race inshore series.
Posted today at 4:58 am
WASZP Games 2025 Day 4
The Weymouth weather continued to keep the fleet guessing The Weymouth weather continued to keep the fleet guessing, with the northerly breeze hanging in the early forecast before giving way to a westerly build.
Posted today at 4:38 am
Admiral's Cup Paul Wyeth Thursday Photo Gallery
The battle points ahead of the Fastnet race intense The six-race inshore series has now been completed with an unstable northerly, swinging to the west later. The starts were particularly intense as the teams battled for points ahead of the Fastnet, and Paul Wyeth was on hand to capture the action.
Posted today at 4:18 am