34th America's Cup: multihulls!

Live fleet racing now-you guys should check this out! Spectacular pass by the Kiwis and Spithill may be gaining it back upwind. This is fantastic!

UPDATE: Kiwis win the final fleet race at this venue after losing the match racing to Spithill/Oracle! Artemis(Sweden) just beats Spithill for second because they were on starboard tack forcing Spithill/Oracle to tack!

watch the video of todays race-very exciting: http://www.youtube.com/americascup#p/l

-----
Design News: Some of the boats are using square top jibs-small squaretop but squaretop nonetheless.....


Click on this Chris Cameron photo to see the square top jib on Team NZ. The pic was posted earlier but I didn't notice the jib on this boat and on some of the others....

 

34th AC

Next: September 10th-18th, Plymouth England and after that sometime between October and December San Diego....

 

It great to watch

 

34th AC

Arrival in Plymouth: http://www.americascup.com/en/Latest/Blog/2011/8/Exit-Cascais-enter-Plymouth/


From Scuttlebutt:

AMERICA'S CUP UNCOVERED
One of the ideas to familiarize sports fans with the America's Cup is the
production of the weekly magazine show - America's Cup Uncovered. These
shows - posted on the America's Cup YouTube channel - provide
behind-the-scenes sneak-peeks, athlete profiles and up-close action on and
off the water. Ninety episodes are planned... here are the first four:

ONE: (July 29, 2011) A global first, the new weekly magazine program
America's Cup Uncovered is designed to connect viewers with the people,
places and stories that are the backbone of the America's Cup. Featuring
behind-the-scenes sneak-peeks, athlete profiles and up-close action on and
off the water: http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCup#p/u/85/twhiFlNupoc

TWO: (August 5, 2011) Episode 2 showcases the lead-up to the inaugural
America's Cup World Series event, with a visit to Cascais, Portugal with
some of the people who'll make it happen. Then it's to Artemis CEO Paul
Cayard, who has won everything there is to win in sailing, except an
America's Cup. We go home with him to San Francisco to find out where it
all began and his quest to win the oldest trophy in international sport.
Then, it's back in Portugal with Loick Peyron and Team Energy as they sail
the AC45 for the very first time. And finally, we're in China and Korea --
the Eastern-most frontier of the America's Cup:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCup#p/u/74/_0LQh3tAUpo

THREE: (August 13, 2011) This week's episode begins with the first
America's Cup World Series Event in Cascais Portugal where we follow the
man who's responsibility for making the event happen on the water. Next, we
meet the teams who will be the center of the action. Then, it's off to
Auckland where we go back in time to see the makings of the AC45, including
a traditional Maori blessing of the boat. And finally we'll be there as the
teams line up ahead of their very first race - a look behind-the-scenes as
the athletes get prepared:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCup#p/u/0/c4qA6hDYM0w

FOUR: (August 18, 2011) This week's program begins with the inaugural
America's Cup World Series event in Cascais, Portugal aboard Green Comm
Racing, the Spanish challenger as they compete in the first ever AC500
Speed Trial. Then, a day off from the sailing not just rest but also a
focus on ocean conservation - join the teams as they help preserve the
Cascais coastline. Next, it's front and center with Geordie Shaver,
America's Cup commentator and former AC bowman, as he helps take America's
Cup TV live for the first time. Then we're fresh off the race course, where
Team Korea breaks down their racing after the beating America's Cup
winningest skipper, Russell Coutts:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCup#p/u/1/WR9VSXfwTgs

YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCup

 

34th AC

America's Cup / AC 45's San Diego:

http://www.americascup.com/en/Latest/News/2011/8/Countdown-to-Americas-Cup-World-Series-San-Diego/

 

34th AC

Episode 5-America's Cup Uncovered: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM6WtzbAKOQ

episodes 1-4 post 169

 

34th AC

From Scuttlebutt tonight:
The America's Cup World Series Plymouth is the second stop in the series.
Following Plymouth, the teams will next race in San Diego, California from
November 12-20, 2011. -- Full report:
http://media.americascup.com/pressreleases/?id=244



Plymouth is next with racing starting on the 10th of September!
http://www.americascup.com/

 

34th AC---Schooner rigged AC72

They could be serious: http://www.sautercarbonoffsetdesign.com/dyna-wings-calenger.html


The DynaWing AC72 34th America’s Cup Challenger has a Schooner Rig featuring a hybrid Wingmast
and boom furling mainsail combination that delivers a dynamic range of power options from a full sail array with Wingsail emulation efficiency to a gradual reduction of sails down to Wingmast reefing.


The DynWing AC72 adheres to the ruling design parameters of the AC72, the length, beam and total
sail area that includes a maximum of 2 wing segments

DynaWing AC72 advantages when compared to the Oracle AC72 Wingsail

•Under full power the DynaWing Schooner rig at the much lower height of 32 meters has the same sail area as the 40 meter Wingsail rig, but with a greatly reduced heeling moment.


•The boom furling mainsails provide dynamic loading specifically aimed at tailoring the heeling moment when racing at high speeds in strong winds.


•With a 4:1 aspect ratio each hybrid Wingmast retains the same level of efficiency under full load as the single 40 meter Wingsail. However when overpowered the hybrid Wingmast can shed the load while arriving at still higher aspect ratios.

 

If the DynaWing folks are serious, they need to prove it on the water.

They could build a 45' version and take it head to head against the current fleet.

Or heck, build some other high performance cat pair with one a "standard" two element wing and one DynaWing.

I am not from Missouri, but in the case "show me" is called for.

 

34th AC---Plymouth

from Scuttlebutt tonight:

EXPECT THE THRILL METER TO RISE

Following the inaugural event of the America's Cup World Series in Caiscais
(Portugal), teams have moved their AC45s to Plymouth (England) in order to
prepare for the second leg of the AC World Series (Sept. 10-18), which is
due to start on Saturday. And expectations are for the thrill meter to
rise.

Loick Peyron and the crew of Energy Team (FRA) have been training since
last Thursday in Plymouth Sound, which is famous for hosting the start of
the transatlantic race. The French challenger has been through five busy
days of training in conditions that have often been quite rough. In fact,
yesterday, the crew was forced to remain ashore.

* What difference is there between Plymouth and Cascais?

LOICK PEYRON: In Plymouth, the sea is bound to be rather choppy. This is particularly true when the wind is from the south in spite of the
breakwater, because that doesn't hold back the sea completely, so we're
looking at conditions that are rather more like the open sea.

But this is a great place to race, and offers a good view to spectators
from the famous Hoe with its green lawns. This is the place where the
legendary transatlantic races begin (OSTAR). The sailing area is rather
tricky with currents and extremely unstable winds. For the moment, we've
been training in windy conditions in general. There have been quite strong
winds to the extent that yesterday we weren't able to go out sailing.

* How does the AC45 behave in such winds?

LOICK PEYRON: The boat is designed for that, so that's not a problem.
Occasionally, it means taking it to the edge and the precise limits are not
that easy to find. When there are windy conditions, the only tricky
manoeuvre is bearing away. Everything else is easy enough to deal with...
sailing downwind and indeed upwind, especially in courses set up in the
direction of the wind.

But bearing away at the windward buoy requires you to find the right
moment, the crew has to be in the right place, and you have to know whether
it is risky or not to bear away and not accelerate too fast, which means
that it becomes fairly complicated. As soon as there is too much wind, you
reach a critical point. You have to be really careful, as the slightest
mistake is hardly ever excused. We saw that on Monday with the Spaniards
capsizing.Full interview: http://tinyurl.com/ACUP-090711

Plymouth schedule: http://tinyurl.com/ACWS-Plymouth-2011

BROADCAST:
Viewers can tune in to the America's Cup YouTube channel.
Featuring a multi-screen player, viewers can choose from live onboard
footage, a graphical overview or an eagle's eye view, as well as from
expert sailing or standard sports commentary as part of the daily
livestreaming. The racing is also available on demand at
http://www.youtube.com/americascup

===============
9/10/11---Thanks to Jeff for pinning the AC channel/thread info to alert everybody that racing starts today in Plymouth in AC 45's!

 

34thAC

Wind! Today and forcast tomorrow-watch the rerun of the race today-use the link above or in the pinned post. In today's preliminary race Team NZ did well- and Russell Coutts won the speed trial.

Unfortunately, as best I can tell at 2:42 EDT there does not appear to be any way to watch todays practice racing. If anybody finds the magic solution please post it here! Thanks.

 

34th AC

Lots of wind today. Team Korea just capsized trying to recover from a pitchpole. One other boat has apparently capsized.... Greencom just capsized...

When you see the course notice the powercat -the "official" AC camera boat:

 

34th AC

Spithill wins!-Emirates Team NZ still in overall lead-practice racing. Speed trial soon.....

Teams:

1. Emirates Team NZ
2. Oracle Racing Coutts
3. Artemis Racing: retired wing problems
4. Oracle Racing Spithill
5. China Team
6. Team Korea-capsize!
7. Energy Team
8. Aleph: capsize!
9. Green Comm Racing: capsize!(twice)-damage to top of wing-appears to be just film but could be worse...

 

34th AC----Speed Trial

--Fantastic capsize/pitchpole recovery by Jimmy Spithill
--Coutts had one guy hanging off the transom
--Coutts wins speed trial with incredible run-starting at 28mph

 

34th AC

Match racing starts Wednesday the 14th......