The (new) America's Cup
"We've seen capsizes before, but this one was different..."
I was too little in '83 and Dad told me to go to bed, but he was up with beer, glued to the TV and celebrating and carrying on. We were older kids in '87 and Freo harbour was magic, I'll never forget the gold hulls of the Kookaburras as they went out. Pity the Yanks took the cup back. Very nostalgic for the 12m yachts here - inspired me to sail dinghys and keelboats when I was older. I have a few models of them that sail, with rudimentary remote control - Australia II with winged keel, Liberty and Kookaburra III.
Current Americas cup is hyper-charged - the designs are amazing, like massive 18ft skiffs. You might as well push design in this arena. It's a lot like foiling in surfing - cutting edge. But... a 12m with keel, displacing its hull and much slower in the water - would survive a capping like that.
Oh yeah, I was up at the foremast when our boat did a chinese gybe once, the boat is under spinnaker and gets blown sideways and usually heads up into the wind. I was hanging onto the mast, sideways, looking back at the crew on the winch trimming the kite - he was submerged under a barrel of water, totally getting tubed, as that side of the boat went under!
Six 30ft boats lining up the one mark and everyone calling each other a gumby. Fun.
For the 12m yachts, always loved Dragons, they look like mini a mini classic 12. Affordable, if any boat can be described as such. Other favourites include the Couta boats, H28s, a beaut S&S 26 I once went on.
Have watched bits and pieces
Unbelievable to be doing 40kts boat speed in 15kts or so true wind speed
Boats are so dialed in
Very cool and pushing the limits
Wonder if they could ever apply to round the world racing
h28 great boats if you buy in good condition.
Would trust her to me just about anywhere.
The innovation and creativity that is on display at the Americas Cup is astounding .
A year ago it was catamarans on foils , now it's a mono hull that has had to incorporate aerodynamics into their overall Hydrodynamics , as the speeds are actually over a 100KPH and they are doing turns/jibes at these speeds with incredible curved foils .......F 1 aerodynamic genius's helped .....the progress in couple of years is astounding, can't wait for this weekends races!
I've seen those Waszp single person foils on the Bay and they fly! Must be tricky beasts to control
Roystein, the supermaxis would be as close to that as we can get currently, a lot of similar features but a hull able to take the battering the ocean can give.
Some controversy:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/americas-cup/123847523/americas-cup-foilin...
If the Yanks win, boats to go back to displacement hulls - 80 to 100 foot. Now that would be awesome in its own way eg
and would bring incredible development to displacement hulls, but I'm with MC on this one, the current technology and speed is really mind blowing and should be pursued as the pinnacle of what they can do in the wind.
Also
http://www.mysailing.com.au/america-s-cup/italian-support-for-call-to-en...
Anyway, it looks like the Brits are in a strong lead on the ladder and American Magic is last and damaged, so foiling to stay for now.
Sailrocket @ 65kts back in 2013
Staggering
Edit: it's this century's "Turbinia"
Was anyone else glued to the TV in September '83 as we watched Australia II cross the line to win the America's Cup?
Breaking 132 years of American domination felt great at that time.
There was a sense of collective 'oneness' as we had beat the yanks at their own game.
And we did it through magic. And they called it a Winged keel.
I can't say I'm a follower of the sport, but have to admit these boats and the technology they are using now is pretty awesome.