Quote:
Originally Posted by tevake
Apparently they do have different foil boards for different conditions. Just have to make the right call before putting the boat in the water for the day's racing
Yes the sail trimming and board controls are done with hydraulics, the pressure is being maintained by the grinders/ peddlers. I do find the constant action in the pit a bit unusual and a little distracting.
The peddlers less so, plus they can put more power into the system than the conventional grinders. The upright sitting grinders with shoulders and arms flailing away surely creat more windage drag too. Again the Kiwi ingenuity coming thru. Do you notice a familure accent aboard most of the boats, yep that's the Kiwis they are everywhere in the sailing world.
Looking at the sail trim angles is revealing, even going down wind their boat speed brings the wind so far forward that the sails are way in closer to the centerline than imaginable. Sure makes jibing easier.
I'm really enjoying watching these amazing boats and crews. So much innovation at play and the crews are refining their boat handling as the races unfold.
The high speed make even little mistakes a big deal in relative position on the course, quite exciting.
Cheers Richard
|
I had the same thought re. the "grinders" being distracting. It is one thing when there is a flurry of grinding during a tack, now it seems to be a constant effort to keep the hydraulic system topped off for use when needed. At some point might as well use a set of batteries and reduce the crew count by 1/2?
Also, I like the graphics used on TV that show the distance between boats, otherwise it would be difficult to tell unless there is a close crossing of tacks.
I recently went land sailing, just like the current AC racing - there is really no "down-wind" sailing in the traditional sense, the sail is close-hauled or tighter most of the time.