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America's Cup

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Don B
Captain

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USA
317 Posts

Response Posted - 02/12/2010 : 12:03:53

On JohnP's link go to "live stream".. they are conducting the press conference and the streamer at the bottom of the screen indicates they will replay the race after the news conference.

Edited by - on

Gloss
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1916 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2010 : 10:43:27

I'm really not interested in a sailboat race that is decided by lawyers in court instead of sailors on the water.
My catalina 25, and my Ericson 32 can both sail in 3 foot seas so I don't care if both their boats sink.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 02/13/2010 : 11:35:02

Well, when you put something like $100 million into developing a boat (some estimates for BMW/Oracle, and only a half of a percent of Larry Ellison's net worth), you can expect some lawyers to be squabbling over rule violations... The boats are on the water now.

The AC has never been an "everyman's regatta", and these boats aren't like the Js of the early 20th century, but probably no more expensive in today's dollars. I think it's interesting to see dueling designs pushing the state of the art. And you could say that Alinghi has already been "sunk" by that humiliation on the race-course. We'll see if she can be "salvaged."

If you want to see the race decided by the world's best sailors instead of the architects and engineers, watch the Star World Championships. Somewhere out there, there's something for everyone. I think it's almost as silly to call NASCAR cars and NHRA funny-cars "Chevies", "Fords", and "Toyotas"--that's a little like putting a carbon-fiber shell sort of the shape of a Catalina 42 over BMW/Oracle's center hull and calling it a "Catalina."

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 02/13/2010 11:42:35

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 02/14/2010 : 10:50:38

BMW/Oracle wins it all, winning the second race by over 5 minutes (not including the penalty against Alinghi that was ignored at the end). Oracle was making 33 knots in 8 knots true wind on the reaches downwind. They were some 550 meters behind on the upwind leg due to a wind shift, but regained speed, calculated the lay-line better, and then ran away down the last two reaching legs. The Swiss flew a red flag, which apparently was a protest against the committee, but then declined to pursue it at the end.

BTW, hank-on purists... both boats were using roller-furlers!

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 02/14/2010 11:05:34

Ray Seitz
Captain

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USA
416 Posts

Response Posted - 02/18/2010 : 07:06:58

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">(not including the penalty against Alinghi that was ignored at the end)<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
After watching the race (several times now)

http://www.americascup.com/en/regate/regarder-la-course/show.php

I thought Alinghi had to do the penalty (that they received from the start box fopa) before crossing the finish line which was an extra tack. It was my understanding that they decided not to do the protest as they had a protest flag flying. Am I incorrect? What did I miss?

Having lived in Rhode Island when the 12 meters raced and having attended the spectator fleet, I am so excited to have the cup back, even if it is on the west coast. I also heard somewhere that they winning yacht club would return the race to monohulls. Did anybody else hear that?

Edited by - Ray Seitz on 02/18/2010 07:08:24

SailCO26
Captain

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USA
457 Posts

Response Posted - 02/18/2010 : 07:28:46

My understanding is that the penalty turn was done, but it wasnt shown on the broadcast - they were concentrating on the celebrations aboard BOR. If you go back again, shortly before A5 finishes the broadcast shows them with a jib up (maneuverability), then they're shown finishing with the genoa again.

Also, BOR said that the boats for the next iteration have yet to be agreed upon. While I think those cats are freakin cool, I have to admit I'd rather see the AC contested in monos.

Jim

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 02/18/2010 : 21:48:29

I think Larry Ellison has been quoted saying he'd like to go back to monohulls and the more traditional challenger series format (and maybe even a defender series)... We'll see--it'll probably be decided in the NY courts.

I just read an interesting (to me) item that helped explain why my expectation that the catamaran would be the faster hull design... The single design rule was 90' waterline (at rest). It turns out the center hull of the tri allowed the "amas" (pontoons) to float, at rest, with a 90' waterline much shorter than their length. The catamaran, of course, was floating only on the amas, meaning their 90' waterline was closer to their overall length. So, when the tri flew its center hull and the leeward ama dug in, its LWL became much more than 90'--I haven't found any actual overall length measurements.

So, the wing might have been the "game changer", but LWL while "flying" was apparently a factor. I never thought of that as an advantage to a trimaran configuration. I only thought the cat's wider weight distribution and canting mast would make it "stiffer" to the wind. I think this is one of the most interesting parts of the AC--the designs and the technology. There are plenty of races between tacticians, skippers, and crews, from the various one-designs to the maxis to the circumnavigators. That AC is about design and engineering as much as execution.

Edited by - on

osmepneo
Past Commodore

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USA
1420 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2010 : 20:20:54

There has been an America Cup regatta? Only in name, not in the spirit of the cup. So what else is new?

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 02/19/2010 : 21:09:29

It was televised virtually everywhere else in the world, from all of Europe to Indonesia, except in the USA. And I thought it was pretty interesting. I guess the USA is only into NASCAR racing. "Rag boats" going only 30 knots and that aren't going to crash into each other are boooooooooooooooring.

So what exactly is the "spirit of the cup"? Herreschoff vs. Lipton building a whole series of billion-dollar (in today's money) boats?? This one was more of the same--big money against big money; design against design. The crews and execution only upheld the design victories.

Edited by - Dave Bristle on 02/19/2010 21:16:54

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