America's Cup

[NomadSomad]

America\'s Cup

I am not a very avid sailing and boating person, so I was wondering what is so unique about the challange of winning the America's Cup?

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[kds]

Re: America\'s Cup

There must be a book about it somewhere. . . . .
Ken

<hr width=100% size=1><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.canongrange.co.uk>Bed and Breakfast, cathedral Green Wells, Somerset Canon Grange</A>

 

[DJE]

History and Money NM.

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[DJE]

Re: America\'s Cup

Sorry. Must be more charitable to new users. Welcome to the forum and try this <A target="_blank" HREF=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/sailing/americas_cup/history/default.stm>link</A> for a brief general history. The "Captain Chaos" game is fun too.

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[Rob_Webb]

Re: America\'s Cup

Just read a book called Keelhauled - a history of unsportsmanlike behaviour and the Americas Cup. Good insight into what makes these guys tick and how it has evolved over the years from a rich man's game into a very rich man's corporate event. Reading it would probably answer your question bang on.

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[Jeremy_W]

Re: America\'s Cup

Basically it was the longest winning streak in history. The yacht America won in 1851 (by the simple expedient of missing out a mark of the course) and from then till 1983 America Waived the Rules: Protest in a race and the New York Yacht Club appointed the Protest Committee, which is like "complaining about your wife to your Mother-In-Law" (attrib. Alan Bond)

The challenger had to reach America under its own keel where it would face a yacht that had been built specifically for short distance racing in moderate conditions. The more times the Americans won the greater the mystique that grew.

Originally the challenger had to use indigenous products. For example British terylene rather than American Dacron. If the Americans had not relented they might never have lost. Allowing challengers to use first Dacron sails then Kevlar (Dupont, USA), GPS (US Navy) and overseas test tanks (the Australians did not possess an adequate tank to evaluate Ben Lexcen keel for "Australia II" in 1982/83, so they were allowed to test in Holland. How much of the final "Australia II" keel was by Australian Bob Miller aka Ben Lexcen and how much by Dr Peter van Oosanen (sp?) is a matter that Lexcen carried to his premature grave).

Without the relaxing of the rules, British challengers navigating by compass and dividers, Ratsey and Lapthorn's "Vectis" cloth and a solid GRP hull would still be losing off Newport Rhode Island to an American defender using GPS , Kevlar/ Nomex sandwich hulls and Kevlar sails.

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