Americas Cup - thrilling racing at last

pampas said:
Not around the Can`s sailor, but quite a spectical to watch. Is the course fixed, or altered if the wing changed 180 degrees?
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I assume you mean the wind, not the wing?

The wind always blows in the same general direction in San Francisco at this time of year. The land heats up and draws a reliable thermal breeze in under the Golden Gate Bridge and parallel to the city front. It is almost like clockwork.

I have done several regattas on the same course at exactly this time of year and the wind was as dependable as you could want.
 
dunedin said:
The interesting tactical effect is that going downwind the boat just in front doesn't suffer from the wind shadow of the boat following, provided it can make the turn fast enough and maintain speed. Does the boat behind on the "run" get dirty wind from the leader?
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It does, depending on where it is, so whoever wins the start/rounds mark 1 first has a huge advantage. The boat behind has a "wind shadow" to get through both upwind & "downwind".
 
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So ... an exciting night tonight. Will TNZ wrap it up? Get a step closer? Or will Oracle take another step forward and grab the momentum?

I can't wait. For the Kiwis sake I hope the wind is back down in the mid-teens again. That seems to be their sweet spot. Or perhaps the Americans are getting stronger across the board.
 
snowleopard said:
So if the US level things up, do they stop after 17 races or go on till someone has 9 wins?
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I believe it's first to nine points.

I watched races 9 and 10 after being told it was "thrilling". I think I'd rate it as "quite interesting provided you can skip the dull bits".

To elaborate, the pre-start is worth watching from about -1 minute. The first leg is ok because the boats are inevitable fairly close together and the acceleration is mighty fine to see (albeit that it doesn't make my heart sing like a great Group 1 horse killing the field at Longchamps or Epsom in a dozen strides).

It's quite cool that they have gates allowing one to go one way and one to go another way if they want.

And the television graphics are excellent, as is the camera work.

But, watching two boats beat up for a couple of miles does tend to see me skipping towards the next mark.

Plus when you've seen one set of blokes run across a trampoline and grind a winch, plus a serious looking man in a crash helmet steering and heard such gems as "good pressure, Jimmy" you do kinda long for such wit and wisdom as Sebastian Vettel's Crazy Frog.

Also, I think the "vertical improvement" which is happening during the racing might have been done a bit more beforehand.
 
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Giblets said:
Have just heard from #1 son in San Francisco that the racing today has been called off due to too much wind. :(
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Yep. The ~2.5 knot ebb tide and onshore breeze meant that the wind limit was initially 20.3 knots, and the limit decreased to 20.1 knots as the tide got stronger. The wind was initially gusting over 20 knots then it too got progressively stronger as well, which it apparently does until late afternoon there. Race 11&12 have been rescheduled for Wednesday.
Unfortunate for spectators who made a journey to watch...

PS I think it is all knots, but some of it might be mph...
 
Have to disagree with benjen - the fun is in deciding what you would do and see if you got it right or not.

Seeing AusII lift the cup for the first time was pretty good telly, but this is, dare I say it, better than most F1 races. Some of sound too, those almost musical notes of the wind howling through rigging tighter than any of us mortals would like to even stand near, contrasting with the labouring breathing of some of the fittest people on the planet. Actually, I do know that sound.
 
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