Ainslie's America's Cup challenge boosted by Spinlock

Spinlock buoyancy aids are put through rigorous testing in a wind tunnel © Land Rover BAR / Harry KH

Top British designers have created the world's most technologically advanced lifejacket in a bid to give Sir Ben Ainslie's America's Cup team the winning edge whilst also ensuring their safety.

In an unprecedented move in sailing, the lifejackets Ainslie's Land Rover BAR crew are wearing during their pursuit of the sport's most prestigious trophy, have been put through rigorous wind tunnel testing. These pioneering tests are to ensure the sailors onboard Ainslie's cutting edge 'flying' catamaran create as little wind resistance as possible as the boat hits speeds of up to 40 knots - or 45mph.

The buoyancy aid may have been engineered for minimum drag and optimum manoeuvrability, but its primary aim is to keep Ainslie's men safe should they end up in the water. It is made from state-of-the-art motorcycle-grade material that acts as shock absorbing body armour to protect the crew in the event of a capsize or crash. Plus it comes with an emergency air cylinder and a knife cleverly built in so sailors could survive for longer if trapped under a capsized boat. Crucially, it has been designed to allow a sailor to remove it within ten seconds should they become caught. The flotation device, called the T2 vest, is the brainchild of marine experts Spinlock, and is being heralded as the most technologically advanced life jacket ever made.

Ainslie, the greatest ever Olympic sailor now leading the charge to bring the America's Cup back to Britain for the first time in its 164-year history, sadly knows all to well how vital safety on the water is in such high performance boats. In 2013 his former Great Britain teammate and close childhood friend Andrew 'Bart' Simpson died whilst training for the America's Cup. The catamaran Simpson was sailing on capsized, pinning him under the water. Tragically he could not be resuscitated.

The tragedy forced teams to reassess their approach to safety, and in doing so Land Rover BAR turned to British company Spinlock, based in Cowes on the Isle of Wight, because of its global reputation for innovation. The T2 vest, developed with fellow marine company Henri Lloyd, was 18 months in the making, and is the latest in a long line of innovations the team is investing in as they challenge for the America's Cup, known as the Formula 1 of the seas.

Land Rover BAR CEO Martin Whitmarsh's experience as boss of F1 team McLaren has proved vital as the team look to bring technology and safety aspects from the world's fastest racing circuit into their own state-of-the-art campaign.

The Land Rover BAR crew could be seen sporting the T2 vests at the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series event in Portsmouth this weekend where they defended their title and triumphed over the other five teams to finish top of the leader board.

Speaking over the weekend, Land Rover BAR wing-trimmer Paul 'CJ' Campbell-James, commented: "Spinlock have worked hard on these buoyancy aids to keep them as aerodynamically efficient as possible, but also as comfortable and lightweight as possible."

Jono Macbeth, a three-time America's Cup winner and Land Rover BAR's sailing team manager, said: "Protection of the crew on the new America's Cup catamarans absolutely has to be our first concern. Speeds in excess of 40 knots plus are challenging for the sailors, incidents almost a given and managing risk vital. We are especially pleased to be working with Spinlock who we know will be developing equipment to give the crew the peace of mind that they are best prepared for any eventuality, leaving the team focused on racing the boat to the optimum."

Chris Hill, CEO of Spinlock, added: "Land Rover BAR saw that we approach things very differently – we engineer and manufacture the product, we're not just trying to conform to rules and regulations, and we're trying to help people perform better. That performance-led approach carries across into all parts of sailing. We look at them as athletes and we look a how to minimise the aspect of staying safe. The traditional form of life jacket is no longer suitable for these guys so it needed a new approach. Rather than saying we need separate clothes and a buoyancy aid we teamed up with Henri Lloyd to create one integrated vest. It's a much more considered approach."

Land Rover BAR will wear the vests for the remainder of the current America's Cup campaign which culminates in Bermuda in 2017.

www.spinlock.co.uk

Spinlock buoyancy aids are put through rigorous testing in a wind tunnel - photo © Land Rover BAR / Harry KH