Power people: Colton hall; Cyclor for NYYC American Magic

One of the most talked about design features of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup is the innovation of recumbent cyclors brought in by NYYC American Magic. Where the other teams have gone for a more traditional set-up, the Magicians thought outside of the box, weighing up aero considerations with those of outright power output. It’s a debate that will rumble through the summer of sailing in Barcelona but it’s interesting to catch up with one of the team’s recumbent cyclors, Colton Hall, who now has a view directly off the transom of their AC75 ‘Patriot.’

Colton’s route to the pinnacle of sailing came from the ultra-competitive world of university swimming in the United States where he stood out from his freshman years through to graduation as a powerful athelete with supreme, raw talent, breaking long-standing records and setting new benchmarks.

Gelling with the NYYC American Magic team of multi-disciplinary sportsmen, Colton describes his pathway saying: “As a former swimmer, I come from a different background than the other cyclors on the team, which consists of five former rowers, two former America’s Cup grinders, and two track cyclists. I’ve always loved the water and started competitively swimming at a young age, eventually competing at the Division 1 level for Colgate University and the US Nationals in the 100m and 200m butterfly. Cycling was always a hobby of mine and a great escape from the confines of the pool. I didn’t think about competing in cycling until after college when I joined the Greenline Velo team out of Boston. I had never raced or trained on the bike before and was eager to start. As part of the offseason, the Greenline Velo races on Zwift, and that’s where I discovered my power.”

Cycling power or ‘watts’ is the currency of the power generators onboard the AC75s of the Louis Vuitton 37thAmerica’s Cup and Colton’s extraordinary power, found in the virtual world of Zwift online training and, specifically, racing is what propelled him into a key role with NYYC American Magic: “After my first race, one of my teammates suggested I try out for American Magic since I had already exceeded the power requirements. I applied that day and put up some solid numbers on the performance test. That initial test eventually led to an intense in-person try-out in Annapolis, Maryland, and another one in Pensacola, Florida, before ultimately making the team.”

Building the endurance required for the dynamic demands and lactose inducing continual requirements of the AC75 whilst racing, is something that Colton has taken on with gusto especially with such a high endurance background in swimming, saying: “Each sport has its own unique way of training, and training as a cyclor is no exception. During AC40 sailing, where cyclors were not onboard, we were able to get in highly specific workouts to build up strength and stamina, leading into our sailing phase to take us right through the racing period. Sailing Patriot for multiple days a week on top of training can be quite demanding. Ben Day has done a great job balancing the load from sailing and training. Coming from swimming, I was used to the high training volume and enjoyed the long hours of high-quality work. I’d like to think my endurance levels have been pretty high even from the start of this campaign. Two days after my first try-out for the team, I did a 500-mile ride over 25 hours, so the long days weren’t a unique challenge. I have also done some 2-hour and 3-hour max power efforts.”

Keeping cool in high summer here in Barcelona is the hottest topic for the cyclors ‘union’ around the Port Vell, and for these highly trained athletes it’s simply another hurdle to overcome in the pursuit of America’s Cup glory as Colton says: “Wow, is it hot here! I’ve lost up to 2 kgs from a single day out sailing. Whether it’s space heaters and fans off in the gym while completing over/unders at threshold on our trainers or training sessions in an 80° sauna, we are doing our best to adapt to the challenges that the heat poses to our performance. We’ve also got a great crew that’s also been working on keeping us cool. Staying hydrated is a huge priority!”Keeping cool in high summer here in Barcelona is the hottest topic for the cyclors ‘union’ around the Port Vell, and for these highly trained athletes it’s simply another hurdle to overcome in the pursuit of America’s Cup glory as Colton says: “Wow, is it hot here! I’ve lost up to 2 kgs from a single day out sailing. Whether it’s space heaters and fans off in the gym while completing over/unders at threshold on our trainers or training sessions in an 80° sauna, we are doing our best to adapt to the challenges that the heat poses to our performance. We’ve also got a great crew that’s also been working on keeping us cool. Staying hydrated is a huge priority!”

Barcelona’s variety of conditions and sea-states can have a dramatic effect on the demands from the cyclor unit onboard. Colton describes the role succinctly and the power team are very much aware of their requirements, saying: “Our primary role is to generate power to pressurise the boat's hydraulic pumps, which allows the afterguard to trim the sails and sail the boat as effectively as possible. The effort is more similar to an over/under style workout except the “unders” are still pretty high. When the boat is stable and sailing straight, the effort isn’t as challenging. Heading into and out of manoeuvres requires the most power.”

The ‘recumbent’ aero position onboard Patriot is certainly innovative but slightly discombobulating for the cyclors as Colton describes: “Before the new ‘Patriot,’ we used to be able to poke our heads up and get a glimpse of the world going by us since we were riding upright bikes, which was incredible and gave you a sense of the power and beauty of these boats. With our new AC75, we are recumbent, essentially laying down, sunken in the hull, facing the sky. Occasionally, we get a quick view of another team’s sail crossing our stern.”

Physically demanding, the role of cyclor across all of the teams in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup is intense. Colton gives an insight into the day-in, day-out demands and just how the American Magic team are coping, saying: “This sport is exceptionally difficult. The combination of high intensity and high heat can make for brutal workouts. I’ve burned over 1,500 calories in under an hour on the boat and have even seen my heart rate peak at 213 bpm. You know your teammates are relying on you to put out as much power as possible for the duration of the race. Once we are done with the day out on the water, I usually try to do a spin down on our indoor trainers to get the legs loosened up while I refuel and rehydrate in order to do it all over again the next day.”

Racing for the most famous and storied yacht club in the world – the New York Yacht Club – is a rare privilege but one that Colton and his colleagues in the cyclor team are taking on with a remarkable spirit. Their social media is full of fun with some real, true America's Cup characters coming to the fore. As the engine room of this impressive challenge, the Preliminary Regatta will be the first test starting on the 22nd August before the Louis Vuitton Cup kicks off on the 29th August. There is everything to play for and NYYC American Magic are making all the right noises as the competition begins.