crewman
Active member
I have heard that the next AC will be in monohull's. Step back or forward?
Next America's Cup
- Thread starter crewman
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bedouin
Well-known member
Foiling monohulls at that
The cats didn't prove much good at match racing -they were better in the fleet racing of the world series. I would be glad to see more match racing but I don't know if the proposed boats will provide that
Ingwe
Active member
Yes it will be interesting to see what they mean by a "foiling monohull" the two types I can envisage don't make much sense. They could mean a lightweight orma 60 with Dali foils - in which case it will be too slow to tack and will make for awful match racing, or effectively a giant moth, which I am sure is possible but I don't see how it would be better than the current ac50's as I suspect you would have to go to fully computer controlled foils to make it stable. I am just hoping that their designers have some secret new way of making a monohull foil......
flaming
Well-known member
I've said before that I think there are 2 possible routes that the cup could take and provide a good spectacle. Either stay with foiling cats and tweak the rule to get rid of the need for quite so much grinding for hydro, and concentrate on the speeds produced and that the boats are just about the fastest course racing boats it would be possible to make with current technology.
Or go to a big, fairly conventional, maxi mono and concentrate on the tactics and crew work of big boat match racing.
I'm trying to keep an open mind, because the technology is moving on at such pace, but I currently fail to see how a foiling mono can provide good tactical racing, so if you're not expecting to see dialups and luffing matches, then why sail a boat that isn't as fast as it could be?
Or go to a big, fairly conventional, maxi mono and concentrate on the tactics and crew work of big boat match racing.
I'm trying to keep an open mind, because the technology is moving on at such pace, but I currently fail to see how a foiling mono can provide good tactical racing, so if you're not expecting to see dialups and luffing matches, then why sail a boat that isn't as fast as it could be?
michael_w
Well-known member
A hard work out for all of the crew, difficult boat to wring out the best speed, tactical mistakes punished severely, and a design challenge. 12 meters anyone? Or for the uber rich, J class.
Woodlouse
New member
Too slow. 12 metre racing can be dull enough when you're actually on the boat.
lw395
Well-known member
Fundamentally, the number of hulls is not very important, because the hull(s) isn't in the water when the boat is performing as intended.
The 2017 Cup boats were defined by a very restrictive set of rules, requiring huge manual power to control the foils in a very crude manner.
A foiling cat with different rules would be a different machine.
A foiling monohull will be defined by a set of rules controlling what foils it may have.
The 2017 rules were IMHO deeply flawed, but because the boats were so closely controlled, the racing was better than it could have been. Nobody lost every race. A more open set of rules would allow designers to produce vessels superior to the others. Or dogs.
I have reservations about match racing in big fast foilers. This time around, we learned more of the dangers of foilers that work fine in clean water not working so well in the wake of another.
With mononhulls, there may be heeling to consider. A big rig heeled to windward takes up a lot of sea room. It needs to be thought about how the RRS apply and/or need to be changed.
There is a danger in changing the parameters faster than the rules can evolve with experience.
It was Bart's Bash this weekend. I hope people are considering inherent safety in framing the rules.
What is the sport supposed to be? tactics or drag racing?
TBH we'd got a bit bored of it by the latter stages and didn't exactly go out of our way to see every race.
Judders
Active member
I've heard it's 60' moths
lw395
Well-known member
As in 60 ft and no minimum weight?
Same proportions? That would make it about 39ft wide?
With a draught of about 20 ft?
Time is short to evolve a whole new concept of racing boat.
When do the rules get published?
michael_w
Well-known member
Dunno, having sailed on Columbia, those wire sheets and guys are pretty exciting to deal with!
TallBuoy
Member
30th November.
Woodlouse
New member
It's all dyneema now. Less unpleasant to be whipped by if the trimmer breaks too quickly but only slightly.
charlene0128
New member
I am excited about the next Americas Cup
