To cover an exciting America’s Cup World Series in Plymouth, Yachting World’s Matthew Sheahan needed to be ready for anything...

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One of the most exciting events in a busy Yachting World summer season this year was the America’s Cup World Series in Plymouth, a spectacular, high- profile event that brought with it the biggest media operation the sport has seen.

Nine high-octane racing catamarans, crewed by some of the world’s best sailors, came to UK shores for the first time and demonstrated how the most sophisticated and advanced race management technology can bring the action alive. We were reporting from a range of official media craft, riding on the back of the racing multihulls themselves and shadowing the race committee, so we needed to be ready for anything and move quickly.

Vantage points

Clocking up the miles around any event is always a key part of our coverage and the new Land Rover Discovery 4 3.0 LR-SDV6 proved to be the ideal vehicle.

In Plymouth Sound there are many land-based vantage points to cover the racing. Bringing the story to the pages of the magazine and online required us to be on our toes throughout the event, knowing where to catch the best of the action, from images of the crash and burn racing to face-to-face interviews with the crew.
With all our cameras, computers, sound equipment and sailing gear, carrying capacity was crucially important and the Land Rover Discovery 4 swallowed our kit with ease. With a tight racing schedule designed around the rapid and relentless pace of television and the internet, we found moving efficiently from venue to venue was easy with the sophisticated yet simple-to-use navigation system.

Light work

The proximity locking technology, which deactivates the immobiliser when the smart key comes into range, made light work of the many stop/start, load/unload operations needed. The patented Surround Camera System allowed us to slip into tight gaps with confidence, as did the automatically adjusting wing mirrors that alter their angle when reverse gear is engaged to provide precisely the view required. Add to this the legendary off-road capability of this vehicle and getting to the best vantage point was never an issue.
When it came to long trips on the open road, the silky smooth 3.0 LR-SDV6 diesel cruised effortlessly and ate up the miles. With 255PS at 4,000rpm and maximum torque of 600Nm available at just 2,000rpm, the 3.0 LR-SDV6 is
not only clean, but powerful too. The twin turbochargers work sequentially to provide best-in-class torque at low speeds and pack a huge punch at high speeds.
For long days and big miles, the Land Rover Discovery 4 kept us in the frame for an outstanding event.

Note: not all features are standard on all derivatives

Range of fuel economy figures for the 12MY Discovery 4 3.0 LR SDV6 – mpg (1/100km) urban 28.8 (9.8); extra urban 34.9 (8.1); combined 32.1 (8.8). Co2 emissions (g/km): 230. For full specifications and more details on the Discovery 4, visit www.landrover.co.uk

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