Anyone following the America's Cup?

[cyabro]

Being from New Zealand of course I am
Only 3 more wins and the cup comes back to us!

Is there any interest in it in America?
Other than perhaps in San Francisco itself?

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

When I was growing up it used to be a big deal. I came from a sailing back ground, live on the ocean, I worked at the world famous Mystic Seaport Museum for many years, and Newport Rhode Island is about 1 hour away from me. I used to be a volunteer sail instructor at the Mystic Seaport also. So I was surrounding by historical boating as I grew up and in the first 1/2 of my life.

But I think quite a bit of it has died down around 20 years ago. As it went towards corporate sponsorship, and the classic monohull designs were abandoned.....starting with that controversy way back with the winged keel. I think that was the beginning of the end.

 

[cyabro]

40 minute time limit!!??
You've got to be joking.
What other race has a time limit?

 

[mraikes]

40 minute time limit!!??
You've got to be joking.
What other race has a time limit?

Whew!! We need every break we can get this series! Larry must have bribed the right time keeper.

Despite the poor showing of the multi-national team (apparently a gaggle of global sailing vagabonds that teamed up to con a gullible super-rich American into loaning them a boat) - I've really enjoyed it.

As a former Hobie racer I love to see those big cats flying across and above the water. It's an amazing sight to watch them duel back and forth at 40+ mph as if they were dinghys in a one-design match.

And the Kiwis almost tipping over the other day - I lost my breath. Hats off to those boys for keeping their wits and the boat pointy end up!

 

[mr m]

Is there any interest in it in America?

The Stanley Cup is what I watch! Sailing isn't popular around the states.

I have a customer who is an avid sailor and racer. Real serious about it. He races small sailboats and sometimes needs a crewmember for his larger boat.

He taught me about the large racers. High tech composites and sick money. Just like auto or bike racing. The more money you have the faster you go.

 

[mraikes]

Race 14 in the can. U.S. continues to hang on by it's fingertips. Caught a couple breaks on the wind shifts and made some good tactical decisions.

No big Oracle errors made it tough (impossible in the end) for the Kiwis to overcome the second position start - but what a great effort several times almost completely closing 300+ meter lags before falling back again.

Now just waiting for the start of race 15.

 

[mraikes]

Wow, and race 15 to Oracle too. If they hadn't started out with a negative 2 point penalty it would be a real horse race at 8-7 (NZ ahead). Even so, to close it to 8-5 after their terrible beginning and penalty is pretty amazing.

It's still a real longshot to win four more in a row, but at least the odds are getting shorter. Shoot, I never thought they'd hit 15 races and still not have a winner!

For all the valid criticism of AC racing, it's still a fun (and wild) ride. I can hardly wait to see what happens tomorrow.

 

[cyabro]

I have to say I'm starting to get really worried now
Oracle look really good now and we've lost any advantage we had earlier on.
We do however have the favoured port entry, for the start, for both races tomorrow so hopefully we can at least win one of them!

I've heard rumors floating around that if TMZ don't win the America's Cup by more than 2 points then Oracle will be going back to the court room to appeal the 2 points that they had taken off them, which is a shame as it will drag out an already very long finals series.
They equalled the longest run today, with 16 days, so they hold the record from tomorrow.

 

[mraikes]

Well action in the courtroom is just as much a tradition in AC as is action on the water.

A two point penalty applied to a completely different race series, boat type, etc is pretty harsh (on top of the $250,000 fine). Not to mention the banning of their most experienced wing trimmer (de Ridder) - which I have to think at least contributed to their poor performance in the initial races.

It's not a stretch to imagine the "international jury's" decision was more about dope-slapping Larry Ellison personally and almost handing TNZ the cup before the races had even begun, because they don't like the direction Larry's taken cup racing, rather than a true desire to apply equitable justice for the improper 5 pounds of weight in the AC45 series.

 

[mraikes]

And Oracle continues to claw up NZ's shirt tails!

Ridiculous that they couldn't run a second race today.

I didn't know there was a racing cutoff time in the afternoon. I suppose that's somehow related to the tremendous time difference between SF and NZ? Can't have the Kiwis' late to work in the morning because they lingered over the telly!

Or maybe there's some other reason that doesn't occur to me at the moment. In any event, now there's something to look forward to tomorrow.

 

[cyabro]

Uh oh!
Lost that race at the start and couldn't catch them.

The whole time thing is basically because of TV coverage in the US.
When races start, how long they can go for, when racing must be finished by etc.
Money money money!

At least for us Kiwi's it doesn't really matter who wins in the end as there are Kiwi's leading both teams.

 

[mraikes]

!! It' ain't a boat race until there's a collision! What a start . . .

And another for Oracle, now 8-7 (officially) - would have been 8-9 and a final win for Oracle without the penalty. This is a series for the record books.

Good grief, now it's getting embarrassing. Chalk up Oracle again, 8-8. Now on to sudden death tomorrow and the long overdue end to the Kiwi Cup!

 

[cyabro]

Crap!
Oracle pounce on a tacking mistake by TNZ and make it 8 all!
All on the line tomorrow...

 

[mraikes]

Wow, unbelievable. A cup series for the ages.

Larry Ellison will continue his control over the course of AC racing. I hope they stick with the big foiling catamarans.

Hopefully the nations that sat on the sidelines the last couple years will see how viable and great this kind of racing is and choose to field teams for the next AC instead of just sitting on their hands as most of them did this go-round.

 

[Methical]

Can't believe we lost, after a 8-1 lead, and only needing one more race to win. We almost won it the other day, but went over time due to low wind, resulting in slow speed. I don't even know why they bothered racing.

I would like to see in the next AC them racing the same sort've style of boat, but have a 'salary cap' for the teams, similar like they do in some sports.
It will probably get more teams involved, because most teams can't throw millions and millions on the team like Oracle can afford to.

Your thoughts on the AC?
Where would you like to see it held next?

 

[mraikes]

Can't believe we lost, after a 8-1 lead, and only needing one more race to win. We almost won it the other day, but went over time due to low wind, resulting in slow speed. I don't even know why they bothered racing.

I would like to see in the next AC them racing the same sort've style of boat, but have a 'salary cap' for the teams, similar like they do in some sports.
It will probably get more teams involved, because most teams can't throw millions and millions on the team like Oracle can afford to.

Your thoughts on the AC?
Where would you like to see it held next?

Do you know what percentage of the roughly $100 million cost of an AC campaign is salary? I have no idea what cream-of-the-crop AC level sailors earn. I'd be OK with overall campaign caps rather than just salary. Spend too much on the boat? Pay the crew less. Or vice versa.

If they keep the same kind of AC45 and AC72 boats and series, the overall costs should come down as the big design, testing and development is pretty much all done. Just build 'em and let the new crews get used to them.

As far as where the next should be held - I think SF was a great venue and wouldn't mind seeing it there again. With adjustments for wind limits now that everyone is more experienced with the boats.

But wherever it's held, I hope they go to as much effort to make it as spectator friendly as they did this time. Not just in person, but also the video coverage was outstanding. The virtual overlays showing distance between boats, currents, marks, etc. made it really easy for even a sailing novice to keep track of what was going on. And cameras from every angle made for some very dramatic viewing. It just drew me into the action. Really outstanding overall.

 

[YeOldeStonecat]

Your thoughts on the AC?
Where would you like to see it held next?

Where it started!
Since I live in New England....in Connecticut, right between New York, and Newport Rhode Island. Where it was all started.

I worked at Mystic Seaport Museum for many years, and almost every day I'd walk through the New York Yacht Club. Read up on the importance of that building in relation to the A-C.

The Seaport also had a huge collection of boats designed by Herreshoff. I used to love looking at the lines of his hulls...gorgeous lines.

 

[cyabro]

Well done Oracle.

Feel sorry for TNZ as they really had a huge chance to win the thing but perhaps money won it in the end.
I think I would like to see the next AC in San Francisco again as it looked like a great venue for it.
Some sort of spending limit needs to be imposed too I think.

 

[mraikes]

Where it started!
Since I live in New England....in Connecticut, right between New York, and Newport Rhode Island. Where it was all started.

Sorry, you guys had your fun for 11 America's Cups - then you blew it in '83.

As an off the wall idea, it would be fun to see the next cup on Lake Michigan - right off Chicago.

 

[cmonova]

Some pretty amazing races. When the U.S. was with only 1 win I thought this is not going to be good. But, to roll off that many wins in a roll is amazing....I can not image how devastated NZ must feel right now.

Also, good article that said "The victory should be a rich payday for the sailors and shore team. They are believed to have been promised a bonus equivalent to 6 months’ pay for a win, on top of salaries that start at $20,000 a month and rise from there."