No Interest in the AC?

I am amazed that there is not a thread that is discussing the relative merits of the two Mulihulls that will (hopefully someday soon) sail for the America's Cup.

I would have thought that clean paper, nearly unlimited budget designs would spark some interest here.

One boat has the largest wing (semi-span) ever built and that does not seem to spark interest either?

Odd.

 

Sailing Anarchy has taken over AC stuff - and no other site can compete; SA has become AC default. But you are right about the peculiar lack of interest here - maybe the two extreme multihulls are ..... just too extreme for people here to contemplate - nothing derogatory aimed at Buccaneer 24's and the like - but maybe boatdesign.net has become unintentionally the home for more classical designs. But, but ... what is happening over there is incredible stuff, open yer eyes, you blokes .

 

Some.. http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/multihulls/foiler-americas-cup-28185.html

 

In terms of `competition` I have zero interest in the AC. I used to love it when it was Ted Turner and Dennis Connor but today? I'd rather mow the lawn.

 

America's Cup-the best yet!

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My good man-did you look? I grant you its a bit high tech for many who come here. I think there are many who just can't conceive of an AC like this. It excites the hell out of me........

 

If it were 2 catamarans or 2 tris i would have zero interest but since its cat vs tri i am quite excited, im rooting for the cat.
Steve.

 

Since this is boatdesign.net ... forget the legal drama queens ... the designs are of interest? or no?

Biggest? Lowest displacement length ever built? What tricks are used to build to a D/L of 10 or lower?

What can we smaller boat guys learn?

In the "Dare to say no" thread, reducing fuel usage is one of the branches ... what would a reduction in weight of structure do for boating in general? For the environment?

Sail aerodynamics? The biggest wing ever ... and combined with soft sails.

Interesting to note that both boats started with curved, lifting foils and have moved away from that. Alinghi's "S" foils have been replaced with straight foils. BMWO's "C" foils are now "J" foils with greater lateral area.

I find the boats of great interest on several levels, I was wondering why it was not a hot topic here.

 

1. No.

2. Becuase it is so divorced from reality.

 

Now it's all multi's I suspect it has lost its classic appeal and the continuity it inherited from the great days of the J boats and 12 m's. It has become just another big boat race, indistiguishable from the others except for its lack of media coverage.

Speaking for myself at least, I began to lose interest in the AC many years ago, oddly enough, about the time I started to take interest in boats. It is irrelevant.

 

Okay boys, back to the pub where we can sit down and have a couple of low alcohol beers, chat about who's dying, insurance claims, doctor's prescriptions and the fun of making comparisons in personal medication quantities - and who we're inviting for a polite dinner this weekend ..... none of those extreme multihullers of course - we're actually mid 20th Century keelboat men at heart.

 

Go Gary!!!

For an old fart you are absolutely correct. Maybe we are in the wrong place? . Over at SA the opinions generate a bit of passion. Just ask Doug Lord?

 

Ha ha - onya Gary! (btw, what DID your super return last year?)

As for RHP's yearning for Connor and Turner - it was NEVER the same after Bondy took a spanner to the Auld Mug's cabinet!

And as for "great days of ...12m's" - oh come on! the 12m rule was a joke from start to finish. "Let's build the oddest slowest rule-beater we can and spend millions going nowhere in real world yacht design". Even our beloved winged keel was 96% useless on a real boat.

The current contest looks like opening up the boundaries of REAL WORLD boat design quite noticeably - come on down boys, east coast Aus is ready and waiting!

There - is that enough passion for one more post?

;-) (no joke though - I believe it all!)

 

I've just read somewhere on the web that Brad Butterbox has said he hopes that after getting the current challenge out of the way that he would like to see the next AC sailed in Multihulls. 'YIPPEE KAI YAY'!!!!!
How bloody interesting would that be?

p.s. cant find out where I read it, maybe I was dreaming?

 

You were not dreaming. Alinghi/SNG have stated that they will probably push for multis in the future if they win.

BMWO have a deal with LV to return to displacement monos if they win.

If neither boat breaks, and the races are remotely close, the public will see a side of sailing that they have not been exposed to on a large scale. It is my hope that more interest in sailing in general and multi's in particular will result.

IMO racing rules and anti-multihull bias have stifled design. I hope the door gets opened a little wider. Where would multihull design be today if they had been part of the mainstream since the 1800's?

Weight estimates for these boats are around a D/L ratio of 10 ...

That is a 32 foot boat at under 800 pounds! This is cutting edge design.

Do we need D/L 300+ to design sound boats?

 

The cutting edge

I enjoy reading SA and following the America's cup, but the forums over there can burn your eyes with the egos involved. Still, I think Gary has a point, there is very little discussion of wooden crates on SA, and very little carbon fiber/foam actual construction on here. Maybe we need to meet somewhere towards the middle? B