34th America's Cup: multihulls!

It was interesting to notice some persistent speed edge windward for ETNZ,
Windward OTUSA was a "pointer" (higher in the wind) while ETNZ was a runner.

Conversly, downwind, it seemed to me, OTUSA was sailing slighty lower than ETNZ.

Just like the Australian way to sail A-Cat, that's probably the "Ashby touch"

Best Regards

EK

 

Actually ETNZ can beat Oracle to windward in either mode, high pointing 20 knots and a knot faster; low mode to 28 knots, (amazing figure) Oracle 26 ... but the latter sliding sideways. Downwind the Kiwi is only a fraction faster but sailing not so deep; both seem equal here ... BUT ETNZ's game breaking acceleration is amazing; and Oracle with her simpler, less sophisticated wing will never match the twisty Kiwi design here.

 

Gary - Is ETNZ twisting panel 1 & 2 is that what you are saying? Peter

 

Exciting first race, the very vision of Larry Ellison.

Also as the commentator pointed out, it takes a while for oracle to get the jib trimmed well when compared to TNZ self tacking setup.

 

Race 1 and 2 have just been broadcast on the tv here in the UK.How can anyone describe that racing as 'boring'?The other thing that amazes me is that this has been broadcast at all on mainstream telly in the UK,the country that dropped multihulls out of the olympics last year.I'm sure that the 'old corinthians' will put a stop to it.
Race 3 and 4 on tomorrow at 1330 0n BBC2.
Cheers

 

34th AC

Steve Clark pointing out that the tear on the Team USA flap could be the cause of what happened: http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=150289

 

I love the intelligent commentary here as well as the occasional piece of humor.
I was reading thru the articles at the official AC site and found this info inside one of them.

Quote: “If you end plate the jib you create a downward force,” said Dalton. “Any force you can get forward helps the boat to come up more level. It pushes X number of kilos down on the end plating of the jib. We had to scramble to build that thing. It’s like building a bloody deck for a 50-footer. That was a massive scramble to get done.”

As for the spoilers on the aft crossbeam, Dalton referred to them as “pie warmers. I wanted to put flames on them, but the sailing team’s given me a great big boo, so we won’t be putting flames on the pie warmers.”
Dalton then explained the benefit: “Basically it creates more area. It’s like more wing because the apparent wind is so far forward, it’s a little bit more area.”

So nothing as exotic as some of our ideas about the effect/purpose of those "Pie Warmer".

Looking forward to todays racing. Go go ETNZ.

 

Can one of you designer types look at this and show us where USA has equal performance to NZ?

 

The first race was by far the best racing of the entire series.

The second race was, as Doug Lord put it, "a procession", which was as dull as
many other ones we have witnessed.

Hopefully the large margin was due to the USA's torn sail and the next races
will be closer. It's hard to see them making up the large margin though.

(It was redreuben, not Doug who called it a precession)

 

Mr Hough - Do you have the data sets? If so I can replot in a clearer graph. Cheers Peter S

 

Comment - A lot of people are commenting on the acceleration of ETNZ. Are they really saying ETNZ are getting onto foils faster or are they saying they are getting to foiling speed faster? Any thoughts Cheers Peter S

 

34th AC

Oracle ahead! Go 17ers! Now this is match racing-mark one rounding was a classic with a good move by Spithill resulting in a penalty on the Kiwi's. Oracles speed up the leg to mark two was at least as good as the Kiwi's.....
This is spectacular so far.
Masterful sailing by Barker to take the lead....and race 1 today.

 

How good is this! Amazing racing and cut-throat action. Fab show and great vision.

cheers

Phil

 

Holy defecation, just watched race 3, fargo trucking amazing; can that tractor go upwind or what?

 

Interesting that the average speeds were the same for the whole race. Yet it seemed that when necessary ETNZ could push the turbo button and get back in touch.

Good stuff at the first bottom mark when ETNZ did an extra gybe (which doesn't slow you down) but split and then Oracle had to do an extra tack. So the Kiwis got closer then. Then it was the long starboard tack for Alcatraz and ETNZ puts the hammer down. How do they do that? It would be great to know after the event. It did seem to me that they got up to 27 knots at one stage - foot to the floor.

cheers

Phil