It’s fascinating that some sports commentators are describing yesterday’s race as the best live sports event ever.
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America’s Cup racing “resembles flying rather than sailing”
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(This is the thing that struck me.. it is really on the edge. Do they have control surfaces similar to planes the keep their “flight” straight and level?)
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The America’s Cup is the oldest and most prestigious sailing event in the world. But this year the race has polarized fans like never before.
The billionaire Larry Ellison invested big money in the Oracle USA Team; it developed new twin-hulled catamarans, which are much faster than previous racing vessels, and made racing more dangerous.
The has generated exciting television footage and in recent weeks drawn unprecedented crowds to the bay of San Francisco to watch the drama unfold.
Three-time Olympic sailing gold medalist Jochen Schümann is the only German national to have been in an America’s Cup winning team, twice – as part of the Swiss team Alinghi in 2003 and 2007.
Deutsche Welle: Were you surprised by New Zealanders’ strong showing?
Jochen Schümann: Yes, definitely. I was really surprised that their development concept enable them to be out there so early and with only one boat. They were obviously so good that they were able to match defending Oracle Team USA. Even more than that.
It appeared that the defending team of the software tycoon Larry Ellison of Oracle Corp. was far better placed; hardly any other team could keep pace with the development . That proved to be not the case.
Obviously the Team New Zealand technicians and yachtsmen are very clever and had just the right concept from day one. Otherwise, they would not have been able to prepare themselves on time and within their budget. It seems the races are getting closer and closer.
“More like an aero plane”
We saw how spectacular the races are these days. The boats really seem to fly over the water, how does that work?
Well, first of all the catamarans have two hulls, that makes them more stable; it’s as though they are standing on two strong feet and that enables them to carry a greater sail area.
We can’t really call them sails anymore; they are more like the stiff wings of an airplane. It is similar with the dagger boards that work in the water like additional wings. They ensure that the wind is transmitted into extreme thrust and energy; when the boat travels fast. It lifts up out the water; only the wings remain in the water. The rest of the boat flies. I think we are closer to flying than sailing.
The boats have broken all speed records at the America’s Cup and the Oracle Team’s skipper has admitted that if feels a bit like Formula One racing. That kind of a comparison begs the question of how dangerous a small error can be and whether such boats are at all manageable. In the eighth race the New Zealand Catamaran nearly capsized – can you explain what happened there?
Basically, the Kiwis handled that really well. They managed at the very last second to prevent the boat from capsizing and being damaged. Aside from the two yachtsmen on the windward rump who found themselves more than ten meters above the water, the other crewmembers didn’t blink in astonishment; they just continued grinding really hard and ensured that the catamaran was tipped back into its normal configuration. It cost them a penalty, but they saved their boat.
The crews are well-prepared for all eventualities; they have life vests, as well as knives and other equipment to help them escape should the catamaran capsize and should they be trapped underwater, under the netting. And there are boats that follow both catamarans as they race. Organizers strive for the best-possible safety precautions..
We saw how dangerous it can be back in May when British double Olympic medalist Andrew “Bart” Simpson (Team Artemis) died. This capsize accident was a tragic lesson and organizers cancelled races in strong winds . Sailing fans then criticized that step, saying perfect sailing weather had been sacrificed and asked if that had anything to do with sailing?
It’s naturally a pity that the wind strength rules are so tight. Originally, we were all prepared to build boats that would sail somewhere between 3 and 30 knots Now, it’s been reduced by about a third to just over 20 knots. For us spectators it would be more exciting if both teams could sail at higher wind speeds.
What kind of a future do you foresee for the America’s Cup? How will the competition develop?
That’s one of the crazy things about the America’s Cup: It is unpredictable. It is different from other sports competitions that take place according to the same rules and regulations each time. Instead, the country that wins the Cup gets all the rights to decide on the organization, the location, and the class of boat. In principle, all the rules are newly written by the winner.
http://www.dw.de/americas-cup-racing-resembles-flying-rather-than-sailing/a-17114384
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America’s Cup: How far should technology go?
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Stalwarts of the America’s Cup are raising questions over how far technology in the event should go.
Oracle made large foil adjustments during the regatta, significantly boosting its speed using an automated system.
Alan Sefton was a key member of Team New Zealand from the ’80s up until 2000, and says some of the US syndicate’s technology was practically what jet planes use to fly.
“That’s unbelievable technology that probably only Larry Ellison could afford to put on a yacht. But I have to question very seriously whether it should have been on that boat at all.
“It’s not sort of hands-on sailing that the America’s Cup is supposed to be.”
There’s also been a call for the America’s Cup to move away from the spectacular AC 72’s.
The wing-sail catamarans were used in the event for the first time in 2013, but came under criticism due to the high costs involved and safety concerns.
Former Team New Zealand director Sefton says the costs are simply too extreme.
“That’s the end of these things. Let’s get them out of the way and let’s get the America’s Cup back to what it should be, to what people can afford to race in.”
Sefton says with indications Grant Dalton will step down from the Kiwi syndicate, it’s hard to see a certain future for Team New Zealand going forward.
http://www.radiosport.co.nz/news/spyac/1082111533-america-s-cup—how-far-should-technology-go-
