Sailboat floats way above water (americas cup)

[webbie]

Trimarans.
They raced Cats in the runoffs (like here in Newport) before the SF one, but these are tris with foils.

I think they hit about 35+ MPH, which is pretty quick for a sailboat, especially since they do it in winds much less than that.

 

[rowerwet]

while the sailing is a blast on the tri's it is a bust for the viewers on shore. the boats don't look that fast, and very few people today know much about sailing anyway. a few min. of watching boats way out on the bay and most people are bored. they need onboard cameras kind of like what nascar does. and a fleet of boats jockeying for position to add some interest.
most of my sailing was done on Precision 16's not big or that fast, but plenty of hiking out till you could see the center board, and lots of close action.

 

[webbie]

Yeah, I don't watch the stuff - never did. But that's true of most sports (for me). I always liked doing them - never liked watching them.

Here's some of the tech they have used to make it exciting:
(broken link removed to http://www.wired.com/playbook/2012/08/ff_americascup_ellison/all/)

 

[fossil]

Yeah, well, if there were actually more than 2 or 3 boats in the competition it would be (perhaps) more interesting. Ellison really blew Americas Cup out of the water. He should have just developed a video game or something, and let a bunch of nations' teams of sailors race "regular old" boats.

 

[Augie]

Amazingly if you have been watching this has been the Best AC's I have witnessed YMMV. The Americas Cup is a Deed Of Gift Match Race at its heart. The Challenger series doesn't even really have to happen, and hasent usually. One Defender vs One Challenger. The rules are up to the Defender to make as long as they stay within the original Deed of Gift for the Cup.

(deed of gift----when the cup was originally given to the race there were a set of basic rules to govern the competition, rules on how to challenge what a defender has to accept as a challenge and some basic rules, but there is a lot of room in thoes rules for innovation)


I am looking fwd to another AC with the winged cats!!

I think they hit about 35+ MPH, which is pretty quick for a sailboat, especially since they do it in winds much less than that.

A little faster... 72ft boats weighing 10 tonns doing 45kts or 51.78MPH!
Yesterday the winds were about 12kts and the boats were peaking at 32kts in the gusts. almost 3x wind speed

Mind you this means when they cross tacks, at those speeds, they are closing on each other at 100+MPH

 

[webbie]

Here are some pics of the little cats in Newport last summer. One of them shows the wing (sail) laid sideways.

 

[DevilsBrew]

I love watching sailboats and tall ships. One of the best days of my life took place during a tall ship festival in Boston harbor. I can't relate to a huge $100 million whatever it is.

 

[webbie]

Well, here are a couple off Newport for ya! One of them (not pictured) went down with Hurricane Sandy last year, I think....

 

[begreen]

Looks like team Oracle won the race. Fascinating to see these boats duke it out. Both teams are very good.

 

[fossil]

Well, maybe Ellison can come up with requirements for next time that he's the only person on Earth who can afford/is willing to meet.

 

[Augie]

My guess is with the way the Finals went this go around there will be a billionaire or two lining up just chomping at the bit to prove he can do this better than Good Ole' Larry.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this edition of the cup. I am waiting to see who is the COR for the AC35 and what the rule is.

 

[Hills Hoard]

say what?!?!?...thats wierd as...yachts have changed a lot since i last took notice!....how fast do they go?!?

 

[webbie]

Augie said above:
A little faster... 72ft boats weighing 10 tonns doing 45kts or 51.78MPH!
Yesterday the winds were about 12kts and the boats were peaking at 32kts in the gusts. almost 3x wind speed

Mind you this means when they cross tacks, at those speeds, they are closing on each other at 100+MPH

 

[begreen]

Is there a video of the last race? I'd love to see it. When you consider the comeback that the Oracle team accomplished it is nothing short of amazing. They really worked as a team from the grinders to the designers.

 

[billb3]

That's almost not floating. More like flying!

It's NOT floating, it most certainly is flying on foils especially when both hulls are out of the water reaching speeds of 75km/h
and an (2013) America Cup AC72 is a cat not a tri.
The World Series AC45 are also cats.


Billionaires' toys.
----------------------
The San Fran Yacht Club won the 2010 race with a tri

I could probably live several lifetimes on just the interest that these guys have spent on lawyers fighting over boat challenges and rules breaking

 

[Flatbedford]

Yeah, it's very cool. If Larry Ellison's fascinated by spending millions on developing a really fast sailboat, fine. It's his money. But to set those rules for the Americas Cup is rather arrogant and exclusionary, IMO. How many teams can raise $80M - $100M to develop & enter a boat? Few. I think he really hosed it up,and I'm rooting for him to lose so someone else (with less hubris, I hope) can write the specs for the next competition.

Yachting has never been a poor man's sport. Remember the J class of the 1930s?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J-class_yacht

130'+, over 7000 sq.ft. of sail and 166 tons displacement.
(broken image removed)

 

[NW Walker]

Is there a video of the last race? I'd love to see it. When you consider the comeback that the Oracle team accomplished it is nothing short of amazing. They really worked as a team from the grinders to the designers.

You can catch the replay of all the races on Youtube, America's Cup channel. Here's the final race....

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Somewhere in this thread someone was asking about where these were built. I'm not sure about ENZ, but most of Oracle's composite work was done in Sedro Wooley at Janicki. The molding and resin infusion process alone are very cool technology, not to mention the design and engineering of the parts themselves.

What a series, I thought it was a fantastic America's Cup and great sailing.

 

[webbie]

I think the Vanderbilts and friends really pumped up the whole deal , which should give some indication....
I drive by the NY Yacht Club quite a bit - it's a prime piece of real estate, and certainly the place you'd want to drink if you are looking for investors for your new company...

(broken link removed to http://www.12metercharters.com/newportsailing.asp)

"For over fifty years of the 20th century, the most coveted sailing race in the world was held in Newport - the America's Cup. Since the first America's Cup defense in 1870, the New York Yacht Club held the America's Cup races in New York. However, in the 1930's, after an increased interest in the "City-by-the-Sea's" sailing, the New York Yacht Club brought the America's Cup sailing races to a new venue - Newport, Rhode Island. During the 1930's the spectacular J-Boats sail raced for the America's Cup. At over 100 feet long and with a crew of over 20, men the building and sailing of these yachts was a very expensive endeavor. Some of Newport's most wealthy summertime residents were very active in America's Cup sailing including Harold Vanderbilt who funded campaigns and sailed in the 1930, 1934, and 1937 America's Cup in Newport, Rhode Island. "

 

[stoveguy2esw]

i have to say, though im not a sailor i find the yacht races strangely fascinating though i cant really sit and watch them constantly. i get the reason people do it though, coaxing speed out of the wind has to be a great thrill to one who is doing it.

i find my enjoyment in the water inland , floating rivers here in Va. slowly is good for me, as im usually not looking forward to taking the canoe out of the water and going home

 

[Flatbedford]

I grew up sailing with my father. I think the subtleties of sailing are little out of the grasp of most 9 year olds, but I do have some fond memories. My father is proud to say that he is always driving his sailboat as fast as it will go.

 

[rideau]

Sailed a Bulls-Eye and an S boat...now those were fun and, especially the S, could get very exciting. Sliding backstays can get challenging in late autumn winds.

 

[begreen]

Thanks for the link NW Walker. That was great to watch.

 

[Flatbedford]

You can catch the replay of all the races on Youtube, America's Cup channel. Here's the final race....

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Wow! I had some time to watch. Who would ever imagine sailboats at 40 kts? You don't even fully realize the speed until the chase boats come into the frame and you see how fast they are going.

 

[begreen]

I thought Oracle was going to flip coming out of the gate. That was quite a nose burying. They recovered from that one well.