Off Topic - America’s Cup?

[CDreamer]

Anyone else watching?

Sad that Inneos is out after winning the Prada Cup but very close, exciting match racing! Maybe that’s why my HR is high 🤔

Supporting - Luna Rosa - anyone from Auckland?

[fairgo45]

Great race today team new Zealand for me but I'm bias living here great weather too Its so beautiful to watch such amazing boats that can fly

[CDreamer in reply to fairgo45]

So lucky! We went out to NZ the last time they hosted. Also went to Valencia & San Fransisco’s but these boats are something else! And to match race in flying boats at 40-50knts - unbelievable!

[Hidden]

Given your background in ocean racing CD, do you think this series is really proper sailing, or a triumph of design and technology, over blood sweat and tears. An analogy here might be with Kasparov vs Karpov with a magnetic chess board and played out on a milk float gently swaying down the high street...

Ineos would have blown Luna Rossa away, sailing out of Hull. There’s a reason why Hornsea One is the world’s largest off shore wind farm.

[CDreamer in reply to Hidden]

It’s match racing - completely different. This has much more similarity to sailing on a Restricted Water - which I did a lot more of. I also learned by Team Racing & Match racing, as many do.

It seems to me as though it’s Port Entry Start which is the deciding factor at present as there is little to split the teams on boat speed or performance. As always with match racing win the start and you can dictate what sort of race it will be & play to your strengths on the day. If it is the deciding factor then unless mistakes are made pre start - which is what Inneos did & why they lost then numerically NZ will have it, but we live in hope. Match racing is all about the prestart.

I’d just like to see the cup in Europe if not in UK!

Similar to F1 racing - the technology sets the standard for the future. AC boats have always been development boats. I have a wonderful photo print of Valsheda - you would make the same comment about the J class boats.

And if you have had to grind a racing boat - still a HUGE amount of sweat, blood & tears!

This sort of racing you have to design & build for what you see as the prevailing conditions of the venue & NZ obviously has the advantage with local knowledge, although there all will have studied & analysed to the nth degree.

I wonder if some day in the not too distant future we will have passenger ships sailing the oceans on wind driven, foiling hulls?

[MarkS]

Yes I've recorded the races overnight and watch in the morning. The final has been very exciting and tense. It was a great pity Ineos were knocked out, I had Ben Ainsley as favourite as he was a master technician.

In the summer I go racing in Chichester Harbour in a wayfarer. Our activities may be a bit curtailed this year as the guy I sail with had a heart attack a few days after we capsized last year in a F6, so we will only be out in gentler winds.

I'm split, I would naturally support NZ but then I'd like it back in European waters as we would possibly stand a better chance.

[CDreamer in reply to MarkS]

Yes, that’s what we are doing as don’t think I’m that much invested in getting up at 3am. I used to sail every winter at Chichester harbour - they ran a winter series - was it called the Snowflake? Most of the winter series were held in the South as the Frostbite series in the northern clubs were about March-June - seriously - we had snow in June for one Open meeting. I sailed Merlins for about 10 years. Pretty place to sail.

I raced a Trio here on the Exe estuary but had a capsize in strong tidal flow with an inexperienced crew some years ago with the spinnaker up which frightened me as I realised I didn’t have the strength and stamina to cope with those events so no more, alas. I’ve known more than a few people who have had a heart attack in the boat whilst racing which is I think the root of my fear, though not a bad way to go.

But the pre-starts gets my heart pumping again as I sit on the sofa thinking, and occasionally shouting, what I would do.

I was so surprised and very disappointed that AC sailing hasn’t had ANY coverage that I know of in the mainstream media! Surely there are at least as many keen sailors in the UK as there are cyclists?

[Hidden]

I was working with the Allinghi team in Valencia!

[CDreamer in reply to Hidden]

Oh WOW. It was a fantastic venue but I what sticks in my mind is the numerous postponements for lack or too much wind. What part did you play? I really enjoyed the Village there. We were living in Spain at the time and travelled to Valencia by train from Marbella - that was another adventure entirely!

[Hidden in reply to CDreamer]

I worked for an American company called Parker Hannifin. Mr Parker was mad on sailing. He had taken a house on the Sound at the last Olympics. He gave every boat at Valencia free hydraulics so he would be on the winner. I spent my time making sure they had everything they needed and drinking Allinghi’s red wine!🍷👍

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Sorry should read “America’s Cup “ not Olympics 🙄

[CDreamer in reply to Hidden]

Sounds a great role🍷

[Hidden in reply to CDreamer]

It was. Worked all the mega boat shows.

[Opoho]

Go Team NZ! 2 wins each, today should be interesting! I’m an ex Kiwi living in Oz and have to watch races on my computer. No Aussies in it so no coverage!

[CDreamer in reply to Opoho]

Sky cover it here but starts at 3.00a,m so will watch tomorrow morning. AC YouTube Channel coverage is very similar to the Sky coverage. Good contest! You may find it is now 3:3 going into, for you, today’s race.

[CDreamer]

So..... after yesterday............is this the day the cup is taken? Don’t tell me as I can’t watch until this afternoon. I couldn’t believe yesterday - even though it’s happened to me on more than one occasion. Desperate when you have holes in the wind like that!

[Hidden]

Interesting assessment in today’s Telegraph. The analogy with Formula One does the Cup no favours, but has resonance with me.

[CDreamer in reply to Hidden]

Don’t read The Times. Are you referencing my analogy with F1?

AC has a fraction of the funding of F1 - is sailed once every 4 years whereas F1 takes place over 10 months, every year. AC is the pinnacle of development yachts. F1 the pinnacle of car development.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

CDNo sorry the article is in the Telegraph Sport Briefing online. The analogy is his, not yours, overall a balanced assessment of the series, though ultimately I think he was unimpressed, as was I. As he says, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

[CDreamer in reply to Hidden]

How knowledgeable you are concerning the boats and Match Racing will colour your perspective. My OH has never match raced and got frustrated with the AC races 1-6 whereas I enjoyed it but could see that it may put some spectators off.

The Prada Cup had more action overall.

[CDreamer]

Well hats off to the Kiwis - well done Pete Burling & crew and well sailed. Excellent racing today and the best team won.