America's Cup - Louis Vitton round 42 knots!!!!!

[mistermack]

Update for anyone interested.
Latest race.

New Zealand won by its greatest margin yet. Lost the start, but came from behind to pass and extend a very, very long lead (a mile ahead at one point).

There were supposed to be two races today, but the American team asked for a postponement after the first race.

Current score.
NZ +4
USA -1

The first team to get 9 points will win.

I watched that race. It was impressive. But I find it a bit offputting as a sport. It's a great spectacle though.
I used to windsurf, and still have the kit.
I would prefer to watch that, with one person against another, with a restricted choice of equipment to keep it equal.
It's a shame that the BBC doesn't cover it, considering the shit that they do cover.

The difference in speed between New Zealand and the USA was amazing in that race. USA might have nicked the start, but I doubt that they would have won. It's no wonder the US played their delay card. But that might come back to bite them.

[MiM]

If you haven't watched race #8 yet, do so. A little bit past half of the upwind leg...

What a wonderfully crazy event they have made out of this.

[macdoc]

Yeah that was unreal... I thought it might be all over...

MM - the America's Cup is not an unlimited race. Each Cup winner determines the design parameters for the next Cup.

In theory they could demand a solo manned boat - even a Hobi craft but generally the attempt is to move the state of the art forward as they have done here.

Both teams had a set of design parameters for the 72s and each boat is different within those design constraints. I don't think there is a budget limit but there is a design constraint.

All the Loius Vitton teams in the 55 or so races last year had a set of parameters for the 42s....a smaller less dangerous version of these edgy cats.

I'd almost like to see alternating Cups every two years with mono-hull in one and multiple hull in the other.

4 hours to go.

[MiM]

Yep, It will be very interesting to see where it continues from here, if and when the Kiwi's win. Certainly it will be lower budget, but I'm pretty certain it will continue to be innovative.

[Warren Dew]

Question for those who know: why did Emirates tack at all when it looked like they were far enough ahead to get clear of Oracle's path? Does right of way go beyond avoiding a collision?

[MiM]

Question for those who know: why did Emirates tack at all when it looked like they were far enough ahead to get clear of Oracle's path? Does right of way go beyond avoiding a collision?

It seems like they didn't trust their speed going in separate directions, so they aimed to tack in front of Oracle to disturb their wind and sailing. A classic move of "guarding your position". Actually you need more headway to do a tack like that in front of the other boat, than just passing the bow. This is because you need to have tacked completely and be set on the new tack, before the rule that the boat in behind has to yield takes force. This is why they got a penalty, as Oracle had to yield for them while they where in mid tack.

[Warren Dew]

Question for those who know: why did Emirates tack at all when it looked like they were far enough ahead to get clear of Oracle's path? Does right of way go beyond avoiding a collision?

It seems like they didn't trust their speed going in separate directions, so they aimed to tack in front of Oracle to disturb their wind and sailing. A classic move of "guarding your position". Actually you need more headway to do a tack like that in front of the other boat, than just passing the bow. This is because you need to have tacked completely and be set on the new tack, before the rule that the boat in behind has to yield takes force. This is why they got a penalty, as Oracle had to yield for them while they where in mid tack.

Ah, that makes sense. So not only were they late in adjusting their wing, but the tack itself was half a second or a second late as well?

[macdoc]

Great racing - more please.

There was mention if NZ won the Cup they might switch back to monohull....I'd be up for that.

[MiM]

Question for those who know: why did Emirates tack at all when it looked like they were far enough ahead to get clear of Oracle's path? Does right of way go beyond avoiding a collision?

It seems like they didn't trust their speed going in separate directions, so they aimed to tack in front of Oracle to disturb their wind and sailing. A classic move of "guarding your position". Actually you need more headway to do a tack like that in front of the other boat, than just passing the bow. This is because you need to have tacked completely and be set on the new tack, before the rule that the boat in behind has to yield takes force. This is why they got a penalty, as Oracle had to yield for them while they where in mid tack.

Ah, that makes sense. So not only were they late in adjusting their wing, but the tack itself was half a second or a second late as well?

Not necessarily. If the tack had gone as planned, they would probably have been able to set their new course clear ahead, and forced Oracle to tack out of the disturbed winds.

[mistermack]

Just in case somebody didn't know, it's all on youtube :

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... 9wHcexo9Rw

Race ten was excellent. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI23dMgAD_k Hard to tell who would win it. If you are going to watch it, don't get the result first. It's quite nail-biting.

[macdoc]

[MiM]

.

Yeah, race ten was quite a thriller.

[Warren Dew]

Question for those who know: why did Emirates tack at all when it looked like they were far enough ahead to get clear of Oracle's path? Does right of way go beyond avoiding a collision?

It seems like they didn't trust their speed going in separate directions, so they aimed to tack in front of Oracle to disturb their wind and sailing. A classic move of "guarding your position". Actually you need more headway to do a tack like that in front of the other boat, than just passing the bow. This is because you need to have tacked completely and be set on the new tack, before the rule that the boat in behind has to yield takes force. This is why they got a penalty, as Oracle had to yield for them while they where in mid tack.

Ah, that makes sense. So not only were they late in adjusting their wing, but the tack itself was half a second or a second late as well?

Not necessarily. If the tack had gone as planned, they would probably have been able to set their new course clear ahead, and forced Oracle to tack out of the disturbed winds.

I think if they hadn't heeled over, the tack would have resulted in a collision before it was complete - or rather, Oracle would still have had to do avoidance maneuvers despite having right of way and Emirates would have drawn the same penalty.

[macdoc]

Oh damn that start by the Kiwis on the second race would have won it all. Kiwis on the right



and it would have been clean despite Oracle's protest...
Damn wind

No one told them the race was off

[piscator]

Oh damn that start by the Kiwis on the second race would have won it all. Kiwis on the right

...And Kiwis on the left. Both boats are skippered by Kiwis and crewed by mostly Kiwis, so a Kiwi victory is virtually assured.