Wireless load sensing technology that has earned its stripes on America's Cup campaigns and offshore racers is about to find a very different purpose: helping shape the future of Para sailing classification.
World Sailing has confirmed a partnership with Cyclops Marine, whose compact ATTO sensors will form part of a pilot research project at the Eurasian Inclusive Cup in India this August. The collaboration sits within World Sailing's implementation of the 2025 International Paralympic Committee Classification Code, which places significant weight on scientific evidence, continuous improvement, and athlete-centred outcomes.
The ATTO sensors are already trusted across Olympic sailing, offshore racing, and club programmes worldwide. In India, they will work alongside World Sailing's team of expert volunteer International Classifiers, adding objective, real-time measurement to what has traditionally relied on expert observation alone.
That shift matters.
Hannah Stodel, Para World Sailing Manager, was direct about what the partnership represents. "Classification is a shared responsibility," she said. "Building a fair, transparent and evidence-based system isn't something any one organisation can do alone. It relies on collaboration between athletes, classifiers, researchers, technology partners and the wider sailing community. We're incredibly grateful to Cyclops for joining us on that journey."
Stodel added that Cyclops' involvement signals something broader. "Their willingness to support our research demonstrates how innovation and partnership can help strengthen classification for everyone, ensuring we continue to build confidence in a system that is scientifically informed, athlete-centred and fit for the future."
The fit feels natural enough. Cyclops is built around the conviction that better decisions follow better data, whether the goal is boat speed or classification fairness, and their "Measured Success" philosophy has found application everywhere from grand prix offshore campaigns to club race training. Adam Cockerill, Head of Marine at Cyclops, put it plainly: "Sailing has embraced technology to improve performance for many years, and we're excited to see those same principles supporting fairness and innovation within Para sport. We're proud to be working alongside World Sailing as this important research begins."
The Eurasian Inclusive Cup is the first stage of a wider programme. World Sailing has confirmed the research will continue through future international events, including the World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Portugal. Worth noting: India in August is not the easiest environment in which to run precision measurement work, which makes the logistics of this pilot as much a test of the technology's robustness as of its usefulness.
The goal is a classification system that keeps pace with the sport, rigorous, consistent, and grounded in evidence.
