Spectators at sailing's prestigious America's Cup are being immersed in the action this week thanks to Livecard kit, a multi-channel receiver authenticated by an NFC card that gives access to live conversations from crew members on-board a yacht, expert commentaries and sound effects from the boats.

The Livecard kit includes a Livecard radio receiver, earphones and an event-branded contactless card which is compatible with NFC standards. The kit can be purchased for US$30 online as well as from various America's Cup stores along the San Francisco waterfront.

Spectators place the card in the Livecard receiver's card slot to activate the device and can purchase new cards at future events to gain access to further content.

The company also says it hopes to add the ability in the future to write to each card upon purchase. This will allow the device to authenticate specific channels for each individual user rather than granting access to all content to all users.

"It is our company's mission to put sports fans inside the action and there is nothing more exciting in the San Francisco Bay than the rush of being on the fastest sailboats in the world," says Steve Fields, chief sales officer at developer Live2media. "We want to give every customer to experience being on the boat, even if they are on the shores."