America's Cup

[LSA]

Anybody else watch it? Dogzilla completely ruined Alinghi but that's what usually happens when your sponsor is bmw and your boat costs $130million vs one random millionaire who decides he wants a 90' sailboat.

It was way crazy to watch them race and the speeds they go at. These boats are 90 feet long, little less than 90 feet wide at around 200 feet high. The main reason Dogzilla blew past them when they tached to downwind I think was because of their wing. Once they were going downwind Dogzilla was cruising about 27kts an average 5kts faster than the 22kts Alinghi was doing, it made me : (


That rear "Sail" is not a sail but an actual hardened wing larger than an Airbus A380 wing (and a 747) aka it's ****ing huge. Dogzilla is a trimaran and Alinghi is a catamaran but they are both amazing custom built unique boats.

[scottmandue]

I would love to watch... but alas... no coverage on basic dish network.

[GH85Carrera]

I can appreciate the technology of the boats, and the skill it takes to sail them. I just can't get excited about watching a sail boat race. That is just me.

[Rikao4]

race was over just after the start..
Dog forced Ali into error at the start..
he had to retack...
bye see ya..

Rika

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I can appreciate the technology of the boats, and the skill it takes to sail them. I just can't get excited about watching a sail boat race. That is just me.

When it comes to yacht racing, doing is so much better than watching.

[LSA]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

I would love to watch... but alas... no coverage on basic dish network.

Yeah for the 3rd largest (monetary) sporting event worldwide you think it would get some tv airtime but no, it wasn't airing on any station in the USA we streamed it on my friends laptop out through his Tv.

And lol yeah doing is nice but i don't know if i want to cruise at 30kts on a 90' long boat half of it flying out of the water looking like it's preping for take off, those guys definently have balls of steel.

[74-911]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

When it comes to yacht racing, doing is so much better than watching.

+111111

Big time money has ruined the America's Cup.... I don't blame the sailors at all for going for the money but it's become just a hired gun scenario where it used to bbe somewhat country vs. country. The last real America's cup yacht race as far as I'm concerned was when Peter Blake and the Kiwis sailed Kiwi Magic.

The best Americas cup of all was Dennis Connor in Australia in 1986 IIRC. IMHO of course....

Sailing with a J-22 fleet..... that is sailboat racing..

[Rikao4]

Ted (Turner) wasn't to shabby..
who lost the Cup..?
..was it Connor..

Rika

[cairns]

I went to the last one in Valencia and the one before that in Auckland. If you're into it's incredibly exciting- the Kiwi's lost the last and deciding race of the series by one second.

I can't stand Larry Ellison and BMW Oracle though. Like Dennis Connors before him he's trying to win in the courtroom what he can't on the water. He was bounced out in the quarterfinals last time if I recall correctly- after firing his skipper and taking the helm himself. So he found a loophole and sued for the Deed of Gift. If he takes it away from Alinghi under these circumstances I promise you someone will get it back from him just like they did with Connors.

I still have my Race of the Century poster where Australia II kicked the NY Yacht Club's *ss and took the Cup away from America- in spite of all the cheating and rule changing Connor could muster. That was a great day. If you ever go to Oz the boat is now in the Maritime Museum in Sydney.

Versus used to show the races but we can't get them as they're in a contract dispute with Direct TV.

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by 74-911

Sailing with a J-22 fleet..... that is sailboat racing..

Yep. My former weapon of choich.

[Rikao4]

I remember that race..
didn't the Aussies have that 'flying keel' thing going..

Rika

[Jim Richards]

All keels fly...through the water.

[Rikao4]

agree..but this was a new design..
Americans were having a hissy over it..
it was covered while at the marina..

found it..winged keel

Rika

[vahena]

You can view race 1 ,on www. espn360.com also watch race 2 on sunday
I love sailing as much as I do Porsches . they are a machine all of thier own.
Thus the name Vahena , the name of my 29' Tanzer.

[74-911]

Originally Posted by Rikao4

Ted (Turner) wasn't to shabby..
who lost the Cup..?
..was it Connor..

Rika

Captain Outrageous was definitely a good sailor....

Yep, Dennis lost it and then went to Australia and got it back.... We were staying up half the night to watch the live races. They DID NOT call the races then if the wind got up a bit like they do now, they were racing in some serious wind and seas off the coast of Western Australia.

[arcsine]

The pic above is with the soft sail and 190ft mast. Below is with the 223 ft wing which is the largest wing of any type ever constructed. For reference, an Airbus 380 wing is 143 ft. The BMWO "Dogzilla" wing is made of 9 separately controllable 'flaps' and the mast rotates around its step and cants to windward.

[JFK713]

The Oracle boat had some shake down runs in San Diego harbor, that thing was huge! If I wasn't walking the dog, I would have had my camera for some pictures.

[gatotom]

yes, so far everyone has mentioned why I could care less for the America's Cup.

Being a avid sailor myself, I find more joy in following the Volvo Ocean Race, its a race that goes around the world, it has about 6-8 boats that all are evenly matched and because of the length of the legs, it boils down to tactics and good seamenship that will win the leg.

[74-911]

Originally Posted by gatotom

yes, so far everyone has mentioned why I could care less for the America's Cup.

Being a avid sailor myself, I find more joy in following the Volvo Ocean Race, its a race that goes around the world, it has about 6-8 boats that all are evenly matched and because of the length of the legs, it boils down to tactics and good seamenship that will win the leg.

Ah yes, the old "whitbread"... tactics, seamanship, luck, and sailing in the southern ocean in those boats is not for the faint of heart.

[Rikao4]

during the whitbread..
they lost a couple of boats in the channel ..
if it could go wrong it did..

Rika