After 150 years of failure England wins the America's Cup, but there is a caveat!

[idkfa]

The America's Cup history and an explanation of the class rules are repeated for its television audience. Fans understand it is a no-holds-barred all out racing where the design element is as critical as men onboard. It is the premier yachting event, yet its viewership is small, nothing like the appeal of Formula 1 car racing. Which is understandable when considering the world’s population identifies more with driving than sailing, also lead changes at 150+mph are more dramatic than ones at 9 knots and the inherent spectre of death.

In an attempt to create more television viewership, did FIA supply cloned engines to the teams in response to the "shumi show" of 2000–2004, when Ferrari and Michael Schumacher were expected to win? Would the manufactures gone along with it, pretending that adjustments to the aerodynamics of cars rewarded the Constructors Cup? So why the worlds top yacht designers are discussing a box-rule: AC90, knowing that hulls of exactly the same length effectively equals the speeds of the yachts.

Having tiny New Zealand win and then Switzerland hold off the US and in spite of all the money they spent, were not able to make the finals. Will the television commentators not speak of the miss-matches of the past, the spectacular victories and failures? Or will they be instructed to present the design challenges as equal to the ones of past. Whoever wins this time will have a caveat attached to the victory, an asterisk that says this win not like the past ones, less was on the line. A box rule will not add to the legacy of the Cup and over time the event would be diminished, another TP-52 class, albeit with bigger boats.

[daiquiri]

AC is dying from its self-inflicted wounds.
In my opinion, the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series will be the event to watch and enjoy.

[Landlubber]

The Americas Cup deserves to fall out of sight, it was a prestigious event till the Aussies actually won it and then the rest is history, rule changes, multihulls introduced and all sorts of crap destroyed it from the NY YC itself.

[FranklinRatliff]

What America's Cup needs is a field of 1988 Dennis Connor wingsail cats running against each other.

The prospect of actual death and destruction should get fans attention.

[daiquiri]

Originally Posted by FranklinRatliff

What America's Cup needs is a field of 1988 Dennis Connor wingsail cats running against each other.

The prospect of actual death and destruction should get fans attention.

You forgot to mention a nice shark-infected bay as a race field.

[PAR]

Don't hold your breath waiting on the AC to fold up fellas, you haven't a handle on the big picture, which isn't really about one country's boat beating another and hasn't be so for a while now.

[blackdaisies]

Just add Naked women painted on a boat, dyed on their sails, or have a football player ride along on each boat. Cheerleaders help. I think that alone would increase viewing boat racing.

[masalai]

1 - - All crew MUST be naked and remain on deck at all times... As per early Olympics.
2 - - sail area must not exceed '?' M^2... (Controlled maximum sail area, but no other restrictions on design or configuration)
3 - - To qualify all boats must make 3 x 500+ mile open ocean passages... (or one of 2000 miles).
4 - - Races follow a triangular course with maximum leg of 5miles and one leg to windward, one leg downwind per lap (turn around at the start finish line? - interesting to see boats travel both ways along the one leg simultaneously)...
5 - - Be a fleet race, and of such duration that it takes at least 3 hours before dawn and 3 hours after sunrise... (up to 24 hours to be completed no later than 15:00 local time)

The above should add human spectacle, encourage design development, ensure some capacity in seaworthiness & to make a passage, allow a compact racing venue for TV cameras, and be a test of crew or sensible design as having some endurance in the contest.

[rwatson]

You are right Par - nothing to do with intermational glory - it used to be innovation and skill until the NYC mucked it all up.

Waste of effort these days - would prefer to get the Little Americas Cup on international TV, a much better event

[CT 249]

"hulls of exactly the same length effectively equals the speeds of the yachts."

So a Laser 4.7 and an International 14 have effectively equal speed, since they have pretty much the same length hulls?

Ian Murray's notoriously slow Advance and Spirit had the same speed as their contemporaries Australia II and America3??

A 1958 Merlin Rocket or 16 Foot Skiff or Moth is as fast as a 2008 version?

Box rule boats can have significant boatspeed differences, depending on how well they are designed and built.

[Boston]

this is only a test
if this were a real emergency
Ild be screwed

sorry guys but Im trying to see if anything functions
this thing wont seem to allow me to post a new thread
and I am trying to find out what it will allow
if this does go through
please ignore it
thanks
B

[masalai]

Boston, to start a new thread, go to the forum you wish to place it in, and do not open any threads... on the LHS above the bar starting a list of all the threads in that forum is a "new thread" button, click on that and you are starting a new thread....

[Boston]

thanks
I got it to work no problem today
but last night
it seemed the link that worked today
was disabled for some reason
appreciate the help
thanks again
B

[masalai]

Hi again Boston, the problem, if it persists when trying to gain access to some websites may be in your ISP getting overloaded in a peak activity time (or someone else making a big download via / from / through your ISP or similar overload at the target websites ISP.... Sort of like gridlock in peak hour commute driving to work or home....

Worse would be you are host to some spy-ware, or sending someone else's spam email - - keep your virus scanner, firewalls and other protection up to date and fully enabled....

[Don Z.]

Originally Posted by blackdaisies

Just add Naked women painted on a boat, dyed on their sails, or have a football player ride along on each boat. Cheerleaders help. I think that alone would increase viewing boat racing.

So, what you're saying is bring back the Twelves, right?