Fantastic article. I'm sure I understood lots of it. Fingers crossed regarding some kind of AC60 catamaran for next time. One design foils? Wings? It would be hard to go further.
Don't mind the Hamsters, looks impressive the constant grinding, shows they have to work the boats, and great sound coming off the boats as the hamsters earn their keep.
As to one design, the wing is an obvious candidate, the winner can supply the wing cut out all the design and build costs to individual teams and a spare can be available as part of the cost.
One point to make if the AC went back to monohulls, what TV footage would a team show to would be sponsors, AC32 or AC34?
After watching the first 5 races has proved the move to multihulls has worked in creating a spectacular event for TV equal if not better than other sports and still a tactical boat race, sailing has finally delivered. I hope that who ever wins stays with foiling multhulls, I accept there is a cost particularly as it is less appealing to private owners but one possible way to reduce cost is make the wing sails one design supplied by the event organisers and a slightly smaller multihull say a AC60.
Is Oracle quicker downwind? The delta at mark 2 was minimal, and at the approach to mark 4 ETNZ soaked down to avoid two gybes but still lost nothing on the leg.
What do we know? But from what I can make out, Oracle makes more leeway than the Kiwi's when foil borne, and more drag when the hull is immersed. I think the Kiwi's foils are sweeter. Oracle are quick off the wind where the lateral load on the foil is reduced and therefor not such a handicap in this mode. Knowing they are slow upwind is writ on every Oracle face for all to see.
I am writing this with TNZ and Oracle half way up the first beat in race three. I have to say it is the most exciting yacht racing spectacle I have ever seen - Barker just slam dunked Spithill at 25 knots boat speed - can you imagine doing that on the red jet on the way to Cowes....... the fact remains however that this is the first time that the racing has been competitive and offered true competition. I don't believe that one beat is enough to justify that these magnificent boats are the way forward.
OK - so it is match racing - make a dead simple set of rules, my proposal is (as the technology is fun)
AC extreme simple box rule:
45ft x 20ft x 80ft – nothing outside the cube (including digital/electronic/wireless connectivity) is allowable at any time.
Racing will NOT be cancelled at any time, it is the decision of the skipper/team whether or not to race.
You will race the same boat from start of the event to the end with no changes, other than to repair damage
These are the rules and also the “spirit of the rules” and any breaches = disqualification with no recourse
– bring what you want!
Can't be a fleet race. "The match" in the Dog implies match racing - and after the first two challenges, (before the 3rd deed), which were fleet races, AIUI Schuyler made it clear that the regatta should be a match race, and that the word "match" in the MC clause didn't allow fleet racing. In the same way that the minimum length requirement in the DoG had to be changed to allow 12s, despite NYYC and RYS agreeing to their use in the Sceptre challenge.
to me its simple
use AC 45's, so lots of teams can enter
modify the rule so that at least 75% of one hull must be in contact with the water at any time, hence 'banning' foils
Fleet racing to chose the top 6, then round robin match racing to decide the semi's and then winner.
opp's its no where near expense enough.....
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