Are Americans interested in the America's Cup?

[tevake]

WOW I'm loving this racing. What a burst of speed at and just after the start for Oracle. see ya!
Great boat/ sail handling on both boats.

I still would like to see a longer period in the box before the start.

This could shape up to be the come back of all times. WOW!

It will be interesting to learn what tweeks Oracle did to the boat to find this new gear.

Cheers Richard

[Sunroof]

Cannot beleive team USA is close to pulling off the greatest come back in sports history. Race is tied 8 to 8 but USA 's cheating penalty hit them with a deficit of two points so they must win three more races.

They race today (tuesday) although high wind forecast may postpone the race.

If your a sailor and have ever raced sailboats, this is as good as it gets. Fantastic!

Bob

_/)

[mph911]

Aussie skipper

[Sunroof]

American Money, mate.

_/)

[mph911]

Im not biting.. My pride just got soured.

[cairns]

I would hate to see Larry buy the Cup. But with lots of Oz and Kiwi help he might pull it off. Team USA my butt.....

[Sunroof]

Yeah, those old Newport days are long gone and as such Dennis and Ted. Actually, the only trusting voice throughout the race is Gary Jobson, a great holdover. Anyways, if Oracle wins this, the Cup does stays in California and thats fine with me. Worlds getting smaller.

_/)

[tevake]

I sure hope that some of the nonsailors and others that that thought these boats were too strange to put on good racing are still around to enjoy the high level of sailing and racing that is going down in this regatta! fantastic drama!

Cheers Richard

[Scott Douglas]

Now that last race was fun to watch!

[Bill Douglas]

Team Oracle are just ordinary ole faster than us.

[Bill Verburg]

Originally Posted by Sunroof

.... Actually, the only trusting voice throughout the race is Gary Jobson, a great holdover.....
_/)

Kenny Read isn't chopped liver. Maybe it's just me and having raced against the Read boys in RI but I thought his commentary was a big plus

Compared to typical niche sporting broadcasts like the Tour de France, the TV coverage was fantastic and explained to a level where even casual observers could understand what was going on.

[gtc]

do they have to angle the upwind foil downwards to keep it from lifting out of the water?
it's kind of odd seeing the masts stay so vertical at those speeds.

[nostatic]

On to wed

[nostatic]

They have pitch control on the daggerboard. But it is the whole board, not just the foiling section.

do they have to angle the upwind foil downwards to keep it from lifting out of the water?

it's kind of odd seeing the masts stay so vertical at those speeds.

[dyusem]

Wednesday will be a good day on the Bay...GO USA!!!

http://blog.sfgate.com/americascup/2013/09/24/americas-cup-finally-delivers-on-its-promise/

Sept. 24, 2013, may go down as the greatest day in sailing history.

San Francisco Bay played host to two massive catamarans sailing at more than 50 mph in close quarters, exchanging leads and trading maneuvers in a thrilling display of yachting.

Oracle Team USA prevailed on the water, winning two races and drawing even with a Team Emirates New Zealand boat that once held a seemingly insurmountable lead.

The sport of sailing prevailed in the larger scheme of things.

As Oracle crossed the finish line in the second race, people at the America’s Cup Park at Piers 25-27 waved American flags and cheered. The U.S. syndicate had been down 8 races to 1 just last week. But after seven straight wins, the America’s Cup comes down to one race Wednesday afternoon, winner take all.

“We’re witnessing one of the greatest comebacks in the history of sport!” yelled Paul Kaba, 53, of Forest Knolls. “Our team has completely mastered the waters of the Bay! This is exciting!”

And off he went into a crowd of suddenly sailing-mad fans who had just witnessed a fantastic battle on the water.

In Tuesday’s second race — after Oracle won Race 1 — both sailboats shot out at the start, even with each other. The Kiwis took the lead at the first mark, but Oracle pulled even on the second leg. For a moment, sailing became the most exciting thing imaginable.
Gutsy move

The two boats rushed through the water side-by-side. New Zealand looked like it would pull ahead at the next gate, but Oracle pushed forward with a gutsy maneuver, taking the lead by mere seconds as the gigantic catamarans turned on a dime and thundered down the bay. Both boats slammed into the surf, sending spray in all directions.

Oracle kept the lead down the stretch, with New Zealand in pursuit. The atmosphere on the docks was electric. Fans of both teams started hooting and hollering, cow bells rang and suddenly the America’s Cup lived up to all expectations — and then some.

The U.S. syndicate, backed by Bay Area billionaire and Oracle founder Larry Ellison, pulled away to win by 54 seconds. And the place went nuts.

Don Ross, 52, of Richmond, stood on the pier, frantically waving his U.S. flag, shouting. “We’ve got one more day!” Ross said. “What a comeback. And it’s right here!”

His buddy, Jay Conners, 49, also of Richmond, saw it coming.

“I had this dream, that they would come back,” Conners said. “And it came alive.”
Change of mood

The mood was quite different than it was over the past week. For days, the Kiwi contingent has dominated the proceedings, waving flags and drinking Moa beers in the pavilion. It was a foregone conclusion that Team Emirates New Zealand would pull out one more win and take the Cup home to Auckland.

But since last week, when Oracle changed tacticians and made some adjustments to its boat, the script has changed. Oracle is now clearly the faster boat, upwind and down, and New Zealand is facing one of the greatest collapses in sporting history.

Whoever wins the Cup on Wednesday, the big winner on San Francisco Bay is the sport of sailing. Throngs of people who never cared about the sport are now running around cheering their hearts out.
A must-see

People such as Karen Meltzer, 66, of Oakland. Two weeks ago, she was driving down a street in San Francisco and saw the huge sails go past, out on the bay. She told herself, “I gotta go see that.”

And there she was on Tuesday, out of breath after Oracle’s second win.

“Heart be still!” she yelled. “I was about to have a heart attack when we fell behind at the start. But then we came back! I’m really getting into this!”

And so is everyone else. After months of setbacks, including tragedy and acrimony, the America’s Cup is finally delivering a world-class sporting event that everyone can get behind.

Al Saracevic is sports editor of The San Francisco Chronicle. E-mail: asaracevic@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @alsaracevic

[dyusem]

30 knots up wind against the current?!?!?!

What a ride that looks to be...wonder if they'll leave the hardware behind and train some crews to give tours of the Bay???

[tadink]

Originally Posted by dyusem

30 knots up wind against the current?!?!?!

What a ride that looks to be...wonder if they'll leave the hardware behind and train some crews to give tours of the Bay???

Better than that even - 30knots upwind in only 20 knots of breeze!

yowza!

It will all be over in one more race, and it appears to be a huge advantage in boatspeed - both upwind AND down goes to Team USA. Not sure what they changed, remember, they were down 8 races to 1 before they made a 'tweak'. no one is saying what they did, but that performance does not look like the same boat that started the regatta. I suspect they figured out something with the foils....since now they are foiling both upwind and downwind. Really amazing....

td

[Sunroof]

As a sailing nut and nail biting America's Cup fan, I am amazed just how many people could care less about this amazing event. When I come into work and mention another Oracle USA win some show enthusiasm while others do not. Its apparent that national news coverage has failed to show whats been happening on the Bay. Maybe with the last race today we might see some needed footage this evening.

All I know is that the winds will blow here in Georgia above 12 on saturday, my two grandkids will thrill in their first sailing exeperience and as so well spoken................."nothing, but nothing beats messin about in boats".

To my sailing pals here..............fair winds

Bob

[tadink]

[QUOTE=Sunroof;7673193]As a sailing nut and nail biting America's Cup fan, I am amazed just how many people could care less about this amazing event. When I come into work and mention another Oracle USA win some show enthusiasm while others do not. Its apparent that national news coverage has failed to show whats been happening on the Bay. Maybe with the last race today we might see some needed footage this evening.

All I know is that the winds will blow here in Georgia above 12 on saturday, my two grandkids will thrill in their first sailing exeperience and as so well spoken................."nothing, but nothing beats messin about in boats".

To my sailing pals here..............fair winds

Bob


There are LAKES again in Georgia??!!

after all the years of drought, glad to see boats floating again!

enjoy - and I hope the kids have a blast!

td

[widgeon13]

The Cup is no longer about sailing, it's about technology and throwing money into the wind.

It's fun to watch but the rest of the world will never experience it. It's like polo. You can watch but don't touch!