Both crews will scan the surface of the sea to look for any wind shifts that could give them an advantage in the difficult Mediterranean conditions near Barcelona.

A software created by an America's Cup sponsor to reach a larger audience allows viewers to see the wind on the screen.

This "visualisation" of the wind also links with a racing boat simulator, which includes a "ghost ship" that shows which team will likely gain the upper hand. Commentators can then have a decisive advantage over the teams competing to win the "Auld Mug".

The crews of the AC75 boats are not allowed to have live weather information on board, despite the fact that their high-tech AC75 boats come equipped with every electronic gadget they could possibly need for speed, direction, and the "flying height" on their foils over the water.

Capgemini's "Lidar", a wind-speed and direction system, was installed in Barcelona by IT company Capgemini. It uses light pulses that reflect off air particles to determine speed and direction.

Each of our Lidars emits 10,000 pulses every second. "We have three machines so we are pulsing Barcelona bay with 30,000 laser beams per second," said Keith Williams.

Williams said that the beams were "completely safe for the eyes". The equipment is used to plan wind farms and detect wind shear at runway ends.

Williams, a keen sailer, said that they were putting "just under a quarter million wind sensors" on the course. He added that the system used an algorithm to provide an accurate representation of wind fields in real time.

The biggest question is whether the crews are doing it right.

Williams commented that he often finds himself re-evaluating the decisions made by the drivers as races progress and wind patterns change.

Williams added that the app could be used for any sport that involves wind.

He said that the technology can be applied to American Football, Formula One (racing), golf, rugby, and even ski jumping.

He said that air taxis could be used in densely populated urban areas to combat wildfires and other fires.

(source: Reuters)