Kiwis pedaling toward possible America's Cup upset
When the red-and-black cat tacks or gybes, the "cyclors" unclip from their cycling pedestals in one hull, join the choreographed dash across the trampoline netting stretched across the boat and clip into the cycling pedestals in the other hull, and continue pedaling away.
When the cats reach a certain speed, they rise up on the leeward daggerboard and rudders, with the hulls completely out of the water.
The actual sailing is done by helmsman Peter Burling, 26, an Olympic gold and silver medalist; skipper Glenn Ashby, 39, an Olympic silver medalist and multihull whiz who controls the wingsail with an Xbox-like device; and Blair Tuke, 27, Burling's Olympic teammate who has a dual role of cyclor and foil trimmer.
A Swedish team tried a cycling system in an unsuccessful challenge in 1977.
The underfunded but always crafty Kiwis, the hard-luck losers in the 2013 America's Cup, began secretly working on the cycling system three years ago in Auckland.
When he didn't make the world championship team for track cycling in 2015, Team New Zealand called and asked him to test their cycling system.
On days when there are multiple races, he swaps out with Joe Sullivan, an Olympic rowing champion.
Blair and Glenn have almost unlimited hydraulic fluid to play with when racing gets heated.