34th America's Cup: multihulls!

Gary - I am hoping big time that ETNZ does it. I would love to see these things go around again in NZ so I can whip over and have a gander from over here in Oz. Also Kiwis are really Aussies as soon as they win anything anyway (as long as they don't beat Australians like in the rugby)

cheers

Phil

 

hi Phil, well, we're a little cocky over here after observing the astonishing ETNZ performance and crew work and the almost terrifying way Deano just throws that boat around (fearless crew plus having super confidence?) ... but have been here before, with All Blacks too - so we're still a little edgy remembering history.
However the rumours, secrets and lies flying around regarding Oracle - has to be disastrous for their campaign.

 

John Bertrand is onboard with the concept and believes that the multihull format could produce close racing even if not in the conventional sense.

http://www.sailracingmagazine.com/e...nd-says-finals-could-yet-produce-close-racing

 

Hey Doug,

Here some of the reports from the SA “Spotting” thread (see below). These combined with the recent ETNZ video showing all kinds of ups & downs, back & forth zig zagging plus huge spray from the foils is encouraging for us OR fans. However on the down side, the darned ETNZ gybes with super clean boat posture and the fast cross over of the wing/sail for minimum interruption of power are still just so impressive.



Posted Today, 03:17 PM
OR B2 just foiled to weather - in front of God and everybody - right to the AC Pavilion.

Not a broad reach. No running start. Pointing into the wind.

Looks to me like showmanship. Giving everybody on the pier a thrill.

I would say moral is running high on B2 right now

Posted Today, 03:43 PM
I'm on the pier now. And here come OR again. They look awesome

Posted Today, 03:44 PM
I was driving the cam at 1:42 and they nailed a flybe.

Posted Today, 03:52 PM
Spacecraft flyby. That was a broad reach. But previous course - right into the wind. Up on foils. Maybe not good VMG, but awesome spectacle.

 

34th AC

John Bertrand was a hero of mine in 1983 when he won the Cup with Australia II and is a hero now for saying this among other things now:
http://www.sailracingmagazine.com/e...nd-says-finals-could-yet-produce-close-racing

"Putting all that aside, the America's Cup has always been about technology and being at the leading or bleeding edge of technology. That's what this project is in terms of these multihulls and I like that; I think it's right and proper that the America's Cup is that.

"The main challenge is how competitive the final match will be. These boats are going at 45 knots now, they may even foil upwind at some stage in the future. They may even foil during a tack like we have seen with the International Moths. You have to say that we are only seeing the start of the evolution of these boats. "

 

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That upwind foiling sounds good-especially if they have figured out how to do it so its actually fast to the windward mark. Thanks for the info!

 

This is OT, but news anyway.

Sean Langman and Team Australia has announced he will be running an exhibition race with another ORMA 60 trimaran from New Zealand (Team Vodafone Sailing), starting 2 hours after the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race on December 26, 2013.

 

His comments on ABC here were not so positive just after Artemis Crashed when he unequivocally said they were sailing outside their safety envelope.

I note he is now quoted as saying :

"The bottom line is that what I am seeing is that they are sailing within their safety envelope."

That's significant remembering that the safety envelope is a 25 knot wind limit. Which was a 35 knot limit when he was saying the boats were too hard to control.

I'd agree with him too, the boats are a lot safer now.

 

34th AC

LarryEllison interview on CBS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HCLJYoyYBU

 

34th AC

Oracle foiling gybe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jaDBCJ27R8
Also ,checkout the inboard lee foil tip peaking out just above the water in the still below.Click on image and expand-

 

34th AC

Ashby says: "Speeds close to 50 knots......"
http://tvnz.co.nz/americas-cup-video/we-ll-seeing-speeds-close-50-knots-tnz-trimmer-5534493

 

If you look at the published VPP and the AC72 wind/speed ratios sailed so far, well above 50 is possible. Comes down to the courage of the sailors when sailing in wind above 20-25 knots!! Peter s

 

34th AC

By Pete Carney---Oracle foiling upwind and doing a foiling gybe in light air(8-12 knots). This is a superb video and is bound to scare all the little kiwi birds-Go 17ers!---
http://vimeo.com/72504298

 

Amazing how the boat is improved, now that they've had a most generous unsupervised 2 1/2 weeks
to dig out all those bags of lead shot from the platform ...

 

34th AC

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Always interesting comments from the(uninformed) lynch mob! Oh, pardon me-that must have been a "joke"........