America's Cup: Cyclor turns Grinder

Simon van Velthooven - hoists the America's Cup high - an experience few sailors have in their life times © Richard Gladwell

Despite a lack of sailing experience Simon van Velthooven shows he is a dab hand on the Moet - America's Cup 35 © Richard Gladwell

Simon van Velthooven - just after ETNZ crossed the finish line to become a America's Cup winner © Richard Gladwell

Remarkable as it may seem America's Cup champion Simon van Velthooven is only now learning to sail. He's following in Olympic and world sculling champion Rob Waddell's big footprints. Waddell converted from holding a world record indoor rowing score (which still stands) to becoming a grinder and sailing in three America's Cup campaigns. Can van Velthooven do the same? - Newsroom's Suzanne McFadden reports.

He’s hailed as an America’s Cup champion. The man who led Team New Zealand’s cyclor pack to victory. But Simon “The Rhino” van Velthooven doesn’t really know how to sail.

“I’ll happily admit I still have no idea what’s going on,” he says. Nevertheless, he’s determined to learn the ropes, to get back on board Emirates Team New Zealand to defend the Auld Mug in three years’ time.

The Olympic cycling bronze medallist quietly slipped into the Team NZ fold back in 2016, given a clandestine mission to teach the sailing crew to become cyclors - those radical pedallers who powered up the AC50 foiling catamaran.

But now that pedal-power has been ruled out of the 2021 Cup, van Velthooven finds himself on the outside again - but desperate to fight his way back in. With the tables turned, the cyclist is now being taught to be a sailor.

“You get addicted to trying to defy the odds,” he says, after finishing another demanding session in the gym, and looking for breakfast. “It was an awesome experience in Bermuda, and it’s pretty cool to see how the team operates and what they achieved. It’s a cool opportunity to be able to train up to get on the next boat.”

Although the exact design of the new AC75 foiling monohull, drawn up by Team NZ and Italian challenger Luna Rossa, won’t be revealed until the end of this month, it’s almost guaranteed its power will come from conventional grinding pedestals.

So van Velthooven is building up to become a burly grinder. He’s taking every opportunity to catch a ride on a keelboat and get to grips with turning the handles.

Simon van Velthooven was notable in the 35th America's Cup for his head on deck pedal-pumping profile leading the cyclors - photo © Scott Stallard

Where the strength has always been in van Velthooven’s famously herculean legs - earning the nickname Rhino for his power and aggression on a sprint bike - he’s now having to pump up the muscles in his upper body. “Yeah, my body shape’s changing. I’m 15kg heavier than when I was a cyclist, but I’ll probably turn into a cube more than a pyramid,” he laughs.

Team NZ have not forgotten him. They’ve opened their doors to him – and other former cyclors – to use the grinding pedestal at their Beaumont St base. And he’s even got himself a job in the marine industry to discover more about the workings of a high-performance boat.

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Simon van Velthooven picked up some valuable sailing experience aboard the TP52 Kia Kaha, Bay of Islands Sailing Week - photo © Richard Gladwell