America's Cup

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thataway

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C Dory Year
2007
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25 Cruiser
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DOR25652A707
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thataway
For those ex sailors who follow the America's Cup series--the Louis Vuitton cup round robins started yesterday and the second set of races are today. The TV coverage is on NBC Sports. Most interesting boats about 45 feet, wing sail, all hydraulics by "man power"--instead of grinding a winch, the crew "grind" the power into the hydraulic system. The Kiwi's came up with a new idea--more power in the legs, so they got 4 of the nation's best cyclists to be the Grinders--no sailing experience, but you just have to ride the bicyclse on each side. The boats hit speeds in excess of 40 knots--and most of the time are exceeding twice the speed the winds.

It is also fun looking at the yachts which are there for the race.
Raccing schedule:is here. We printed the schedule out.
 
Thanks for posting that, Bob.

In a related vein: The 3rd Race to Alaska is about to get under way! Not to be missed! https://r2ak.com/
 
I was in the Honolulu Yacht Club years ago, back when real sailboats raced, and I couldn't help but laugh at the crowd watching. They were screaming and yelling as if it was an NFL game...."OH!!! What a tack!!!! Did you see that turn!!!!!! Look at that jibe!!!!"

To me it was just boats sailing....
 
NORO LIM":280oh5hg said:
Thanks for posting that, Bob.

In a related vein: The 3rd Race to Alaska is about to get under way! Not to be missed! https://r2ak.com/
Click to expand...

Thanks, I was thinking that was getting close. I ended up looking at the tracker 4 or more times a day each year so far. A little different than the "modern American's Cup" where a race lasts 20 minutes!

I was in the Honolulu Yacht Club years ago, back when real sailboats raced, and I couldn't help but laugh at the crowd watching. They were screaming and yelling as if it was an NFL game...."OH!!! What a tack!!!! Did you see that turn!!!!!! Look at that jibe!!!!"
Click to expand...
...

Perhaps the Hawaiian or Waikiki Yacht club? Other side of the Island is Kaneohe Yacht Club? But to my knowledge no "Honolulu Yacht Club". I have never seen that type of behavior--but I am sure i is possible. If you have never raced sailboats--then most likely you don't understand the full nuances of racing--which holds even in these speedsters, where a mistake can get you killed. (The crew all carry Pony bottles for unwatered breathing, carry knives, have underwater locator beacons, have special hard hats and the "life jackets" also are like a flack jacket. Each boat is trailed by at least one large RIB with rescue divers and emergency gear.

Yesterday there was a collision between Japan and Great Britain--(Had to do with starting tactics and Britain failed to respond properly.) This collision put a hole in Great Britain's hull, and the hull over rode some of the crew of the Japanese boat. Fortunately most of the time, the boats hull's are out of the water on foils and the British boat finished the race.
 
Speed changes everything.

Aye.
Grandma used to say, "Never forget. Master control first, then speed."
 
It was the Waikiki Yacht Club. I was not a member. Went there with a guy I worked with to have a beer. Not making fun of them...just found it humorous. Such a small minority of people would even know what "tacking" or "jibing" is...yet there is was, on TV.
 
The America's cup in the foiling cats, is a lot more exciting (at least to me) than most of our competitive team and individual sports, including the NASA, and Grand Prix racing. This weekend had the chance to compare Grand Prix (Monaco) and Memorial Day Indy 500, with these cats on a collision course at over a 60 knot closing speed. One call, which determined the outcome of the race was controversial--but the skipper who protested, stated that he did not want to take the risk of a collision and potential serious injuries or deaths--and that is valid. In some ways it is more like a video game--there are lots of parameters being sent to the helmsman (who is steering) and tactician, who is not only calling the shots but also trimming the boat via hydraulics, with push buttons.
The judges have the advantage of instant graphics and instant graphical replay, based on GPS, and wind sensors on all of the boats. Granted one has to know the rules of the game...
 
I have been following the races each day with the "America's Cup" app on the I pad. Today, NBC sports again shows live races. This is the sail off to determine who sails agains Oracle in the America's Cup Finals. The two contenders are New Zealand and Sweden. Some good racing this last week, but also some damage to the boats (fixed overnight) including a pitch pole by Team New Zealand.

The app is interesting, in that you get either several views on excellent graphics, including boat speed, and distance of separation, as well as live on board cameras of the crew. There are a few glitches for me on the app, I had to restart the i pad to clear the previous race graphics.

Today's races state at noon Central Daylight time--10 Pacific Daylight time.
 
Foiling catamarans are exciting to watch.
Pumping the grinders for hydraulic pressure which trims the rotating mast
bi-wing sail and control the foils from a small box control the navigator
uses is new (to me). Tough work for even world class athletes.*
The rudders seem too small and are out of the water so much it's hard to
tell if they actually steer the boat, or not, at high speed or work in combo
with the foils to do so.

Go Oracle.

Aye.
*A prerequisite has to be not get sick from G forces in those high speed turns
as well as be nimble on your feet.
 
Foggy":1uvm3gug said:
The rudders seem too small and are out of the water so much it's hard to
tell if they actually steer the boat, or not, at high speed or work in combo
with the foils to do so.
Click to expand...

Rudders on high speed motor boats are small. When the boat is off foil, the rudder size is appropriate. As the boat rises on foils, the rudder surface area is decreased. The elevators (small fixed wings) on the bottom of the rudder play a role in the trim, as do the position and attitude of the foils. (rake and cant). The rake of the rudder, which will change the angle of attack of the rudder elevators, can only be changed at low speeds.

It has been suggested that when New Zealand pitch poled the rudder elevators had come out of the water.
 
Well, The Australian Helmsman didn't do the job. Plus the foils, and hydraulics on the New Zealand Boat seemed to be better. So Team New Zealand just won the America's cup. New Zealand wins 8 races to get the 7 to win. (USA come in with one point, for having won the early L V races, plus they won one race). The Kiwi's clearly out sailed and out maneuvered the Americans.

Make your reservations for Aukland in a few years. One rumor I have heard is that they are going to do the race in smaller boats (Maybe 36'). Part of that is the expense. Part is the ease of putting it all in a 40 foot standard shipping container to ship to a number of venues all over the World.

The next question is this type of racing pertinent to sailing today? Very little enthusiasm in the USA--I suspect a lot in New Zealand. C Dory member Barry Rietz has a home down there...

It has brought foiling to a lot of boats which probably would not have happened this soon, without the AC...but sure a lot of $$!
 
Racing older displacement "class" sailboats, helmsmanship and seamanship
usually won the trophy. Technology is now replacing knowhow.

Racing foiling rigs, the fastest most technically advanced boat will win all else
being equal.

Soon, perhaps, robots will race amazing sea machines everything in the race a
technical marvel. These races will have lost bling.

Aye.
 
America's cup always brings out the top skippers. Fast boats have always been important. America's Cup has been a development class. (Match racing in identical boats is the best display of helmsmanship--such as the congressional cup, where boats are traded after a couple of races).

I was reminded of the video games aspect as I was watching the AAU national junior Volley ball championships during several of the matches, on the A C App, and the "virtual eye" which showed boat speeds, distance separation and tracks in graphics. It was a video game....

Some of the races in this AC were decided by tactics--and there were mistakes made--which become very interesting when closing speeds are at 60+ knots!
 
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