AMERICA'S CUP... I know this should be in...

Black-Tooth

Black-Tooth

Tony Natoli
the NFC column... but really, who goes there?

Free LIVE video on line at:

http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCup

Since many of us are really technical geeks, take a peek at the previews to see the new AC72 class that they are racing now-a-days. I think the crews number in the teens with full floatation wetsuits and helmets along with wireless intercoms...

I have seen the boats roar to 47 mph in 20 knot breezes and up on hydrofoils with enough speed to tack through the eye of the wind and remain up on the foils. The boats weigh an average or 14,000 pounds as well and all and all... they represent a quantum leap forward in sailing technology and materials.

Hope you guys can enjoy this... I believe WE are racing our KIWI friends for the cup... When NZ won the cup a few years back there was so much excitement there I thought those two small islands were gonna sink!
 
America's cup

Thanks Tony for breaking the rules...
I have been sailing for some 30 years. It was a great fun.
As a technical guy I followed the cup with the greatest respect for the seamanship and tenacity of its sailors.
no much of it in this race. Too technical, too much electronics and too little boating. As a matter of fact, these are not sailboats, they are some extremely efficient sea machines.
What kind of sailing with no heal at all.
40 knots on a 20 knot wind, that's a machine, not a sailboat.
I used to watch the cup boats trying to steal some small ideas for my own boat. What is there to look at in these machines.
OK, I babbled enough. Thanks for sharing Tony.
 
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Nah Tony, we just say..........!

Black-Tooth said:
....... I believe WE are racing our KIWI friends for the cup... When NZ won the cup a few years back there was so much excitement there I thought those two small islands were gonna sink!......
Click to expand...

....ho hum, just another win!! :king:

Hey, call Brian M (bmck) and ask him about the rugby last night!!! :dance:

cheers, Ian - NZ
 
Agree with Brian, no one cares about the America's cup over here anymore ...once we won it... but it sure did occupy a lot of our time here (more so here in WA than anywhere else too) for many years indeed....

here's a bit of trivia for you...an ex girlfriend of mine was Alan Bond's personal assistant and carried "The Cup" thru airport customs!!

But yes it's the F1 of the yachting world, and the bleeding edge of technology in that field...

SteveC
 
No, her name is Megan Jessup. Really smart woman (and I mean seriously smart she in that she might even be a member of Mensa) you never want to play scrabble with her!

SteveC
 
Still fun that a guy on a surfboard can outrace them ;)

Love this photo...it's like a x1/9 beating a Porsche 911gt3 :)

world-speed-sailing-record-kiteboard-sailboard-2012-341.jpg
 
When you start a post with "I know this should be in NFC..."

When you start a post with "I know this should be in NFC..." you are begging to be moderated. At least Tony is consistent in his beliefs. Of course, the next time someone starts up a thread in the DF that is off topic, don't come running... or sailing... to me, Tony. :devil:


Update: Hmmmm... I guess someone else moved it here. I am pretty sure it was still in DF when I posted.
 
I basically sailed for about 20 years solid...

Purchased a Prindle 18 cat which was probably the state of the art back in '77.

Our class allowed Dacron mainsails with hot-knifed trailing edges and were about 1 oz. heavier than standard. They almost were a solid wing, fully pattened as well.

Lots of speed and great dagger-less asymmetrical hulls that were forever forgiving. I loved every minute sailing that "machine".
 
Congratulations to my Kiwi Friends...

Your crew was perfect with a great boat.

I dunno what is wrong with our team... hopefully we see some close racing today.

Lastly, and this ain't sour grapes... but this two loss ruling by the committee against the American Team for conduct in a previous series on AC45's is a bunch of crap! If it was that BAD of a violation, they shoulda been excluded from racing altogether.

BENDING the RULES... or ALMOST CHEATING has been the "mainstay" of this kind of racing and has been what drives innovations to where we are now. I believe the foils were introduced by the Kiwi's and THEN made into a rule so that they were NOW allowed. Should they have been penalized for doing so?

Anyway... if we do win the cup now starting 4 races behind... it would be one hell of an achievement.

More rants to come...
 
HA! It musta been my nemesis Bob, huh!

No problems, glad to see I have some responses and someone to share this experience with.
 
Hey hey, come on Tony......!

Black-Tooth said:
....but this two loss ruling by the committee against the American Team for conduct in a previous series on AC45's is a bunch of crap! If it was that BAD of a violation, they shoulda been excluded from racing altogether.......
Click to expand...

.....the Yanks were penalised - why? BECAUSE THEY WERE CHEATS! :nod:
But there was NO WAY they would have been excluded from racing!!!
Too many $$$$$$$$$$$$ to be lost from the SF commercial scene!
Just think how many 'pina colada's' are being thrown throats in the ol' town thru this series, mate!! :drink:

cheers, Ian - NZ
 
UNCLE! I cry UNCLE! You Kiwi's are HOT!

Take the trophy and go home... I don't think I can stand to watch anymore!

Wow... great tactics, great crew and a better tacking hull... everything all around.

They useta change courses also and that could have been a factor to possibly change the outcome as well. After all these races on the same course, there certainly is no "home-field" advantage!

I sure hope there is some kinda change on Saturday... This rather thorough pounding really hurts!
 
Getting ready to watch the next two races...

Hopefully they are not just a re-run...

Gotta be somewhat boring for the winners as well!

My hats off to you blokes!
 
Woops-a-daisy.........!

...just seen the latest race!! :shock:
Musta been that VERY tricky on-shore SF breeze!

Hmmm, might be a bit more interesting now, Tony!!

cheers, Ian - NZ
 
Finally, the wing grinder made a BIG mistake...

No hardware issue... I think he (they?) just ran to the leeward side and forgot to either "release" the main or didn't "un-grind" it so that it would "pop" to the other side.

I was amazed that it was still trimmed for a port tack when it landed back on its feet and that was only due to the Barker's effort by turning back into the wind... and thereby fouling the starboard tacked boat.

Barker saved it though, and I'm sure there is no way to right the boat without some outside effort.

BTW... I have been in that situation before as well, and can personally identify with the "shock and awe" of it all even when you manage to land on your feet. Takes your breath away and takes a bit of time to get it all back together.

But together they did and Barker really skunked Spithall with a great start and woulda taken the last race if they had not called it, I'm sure.

I'm also sure these boats can take much more than 26 mph of wind and that it does take a bit of "different" handling to sail in those conditions. It woulda made for a much more different race as well. I understood that the Kiwi's were making 58 mph running DOWNWIND on that last race and can you imagine the possibility of running 75 mph across it on a reach!

Yes Ian, lots more interesting!

Yak atcha after Monday's race...
 
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