What is the “Grinder”? The grinders are the real engine of an America's Cup boat and not in a literal sense. The men in charge of the winches, in fact, are the ones who haul in the sheets and halyards of all the sails; this involves enormous physical stress, especially during the famous 'gybe or tack duel', when the two boats perform a tight duel of gybes or tacks to free each other. Even if the grinders, precisely because of their physical characteristics, often come from other sports, such as football, or rowing, they must quickly learn the tactical rules and the work of the trimmers. Only in this way will they be able to anticipate the moves and work in perfect synchrony with the others.
