Americas Cup (Sailing)

[NorthernSky]

i'd heard of this cup but never really read into it until this year. was surprised to see cyclists at the heart of these machines. they seem to be monsters putting out huge power. the UK has a chance at taking on the defender this year

a question has come up though for me. the challengers all have to race for a spot to take on the Defender. does this put them at an unfair advantage as they have not had to race until the final? or am i missing something
or is this why it's so hard to win it maybe....

 

[BrumJim]

I long for the good old days when the trophy was held permanently at the New York Yacht Club, and if there was any danger that another country might win, they changed the rules.

But despite the practice that the challenger gets, the winner in recent years seems to have a 50/50 chance of winning the next time, so not a massive hindrence.

 

[Beebo]

I was watching a bit on Eurosport.
I can’t say I really understood it much. It seemed to come down to who could push the limits of fair racing to the max without annoying the judges and getting a penalty.

The yachts themselves are nothing like a real sailing boat. Their sails are made of carbon fibre and They fly across the water on hydrofoils barely touching the water, so if the crew stalls then the boat drops on its hull and it’s very hard to get started again.

 

[Psamathe]

I used to follow it really closely in the days of large monohulls. But these days with the multihulls it doesn't appeal much to me.

That said, a few years ago I did see a couple of televised races and was very impressed with the presentation and graphics overlayed on the picture (wind across the course, laylines, any tide flows, etc.) so you could make your own assessment of the tactics.

Ian

 

[derrick]

Have followed the whole series, been some good racing, love the tech involved and the speeds they are acheiving, as an x sailor i really appriciate the work that goes into these boats, Ben has a good chance 2 up against Italy, will be decided today.

 

[MichaelW2]

I took a cruise around Madeira in a 1930s wooden America Cup yatch. An elegant vessel for a more civilized age.

 

[Dogtrousers]

. was surprised to see cyclists at the heart of these machines. they seem to be monsters putting out huge power.

I watched video about this, and how incredible the power output is. But it didn't explain why. It's a boat - it gets pushed by the wind. What do they do with that power?

 

[FishFright]

I watched video about this, and how incredible the power output is. But it didn't explain why. It's a boat - it gets pushed by the wind. What do they do with that power?

They power a hydraulic pump which in turn works the sails, rudder et al .

 

[Psamathe]

I watched video about this, and how incredible the power output is. But it didn't explain why. It's a boat - it gets pushed by the wind. What do they do with that power?

I haven't seen the video but when racing you need to ensure the sails are optimally set (angles, shape, positioning, etc.) This is done in part using sheets/ropes. Big sails carry a lot of force so need a lot of gearing and power to adjust them.

Additionally the wind is perpetually shifting so sails need adjusting to accommodate the wind shift. Except some shifts mean small changes in direction, other shifts bigger changes tacking or gybing - which means lots of rope work needing speed and power.

Ian

 

[MichaelW2]

The total budget for Team Ineos is about £100 million. Lots of redevelopement in Portsmouth with design and build in the UK, so money well spent.

 

[Alex321]

i'd heard of this cup but never really read into it until this year. was surprised to see cyclists at the heart of these machines. they seem to be monsters putting out huge power. the UK has a chance at taking on the defender this year

a question has come up though for me. the challengers all have to race for a spot to take on the Defender. does this put them at an unfair advantage as they have not had to race until the final? or am i missing something
or is this why it's so hard to win it maybe....

Actually it would be the other way around. Because the challengers have been racing each other, they have had the chance to tune their vessels and iron out any issues, in actual racing as opposed to relatibvely unpressurised practice.

And it isn't as if the finals take place the day after the last challenger race, with no time for crews to recover or repairs to be made.

 

[NorthernSky]

The total budget for Team Ineos is about £100 million. Lots of redevelopement in Portsmouth with design and build in the UK, so money well spent.

the sums are staggering. hopefully the technology trickles down and things are discovered that can benefit everyone, for those kinds of money.

Actually it would be the other way around. Because the challengers have been racing each other, they have had the chance to tune their vessels and iron out any issues, in actual racing as opposed to relatibvely unpressurised practice.

And it isn't as if the finals take place the day after the last challenger race, with no time for crews to recover or repairs to be made.

yeah fair enough, i guess i was thinking they are jumping in the boat the next day , knackered after pedalling like maniacs 😁

 

[Sterlo]

The total budget for Team Ineos is about £100 million. Lots of redevelopement in Portsmouth with design and build in the UK, so money well spent.

In partnership with the Mercedes F1 team as well if I heard correctly.

 

[derrick]

i'd heard of this cup but never really read into it until this year. was surprised to see cyclists at the heart of these machines. they seem to be monsters putting out huge power. the UK has a chance at taking on the defender this year

a question has come up though for me. the challengers all have to race for a spot to take on the Defender. does this put them at an unfair advantage as they have not had to race until the final? or am i missing something
or is this why it's so hard to win it maybe....

The earlier boats had hand pedals, new Zealand was first to use foot peddaling and everyone else followed.

 

[derrick]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5gIiHFj6nc