Ex McLaren engineer Richard Hopkirk has joined Ben Ainslie’s America’s Cup challenger Land Rover BAR as Head of Systems & Analysis.
After earning an MEng at Cambridge, he picked up another master’s at Harvard, then joined McLaren. At McLaren Hopkirk spent five years working on simulations, then in 2007 he joined the pitwall team as tactician, working with Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton won the world driving title at McLaren in 2008, his second season in F1. At Land Rover BAR, Hopkirk will work with Sailing Team Coach Rob Wilson as well as with on board tactician Giles Scott. He is also responsible for crucial design systems.
On board control systems for the wing, daggerboards and rudders are one of the few areas where design teams have flexibility under the America’s Cup Class Rule. Simulators and performance analysis systems will also play a big role in this America’s Cup cycle. Richard Hopkirk has a big job!