I think A5 lost their one opportunity in race 2 by letting BMWO go at the crossing. I also wonder if they misjudged where the layline was. Initially it didn't look like BMWO was on the line, but it looked a shift and there they were - they just seemed to read the conditions better. But if A5 had adjusted a little they maybe could have forced a situation to their benefit. Armchair sailing on my part for sure...
I have been thinking about this and some other odd manuvers in terms of BMWO's laser wind mapping system(Dopler LIDOR). A dopler LIDOR should be able to read windshifts and predict when they will arrive. Alinghi may have tacked on the Layline but BMWO may have tacked on where the layline would be. When BMWO first tacked the birds eye view anaimation showed BMWO below the layline. It was only after Alinghi tacked that the animation showed BMWO on and then later above the layline.
When I first heard about the dopler LIDOR, I thought mapping a square or a circle up to a mile away would be nice not a killer. As watched the race I started thinking instead of just mapping square on the course, I would map a narrow rectangle in front of me to see what is coming at me or an arc to see what it looks like ahead and to the sides in order to see what my alternatives look like. With this information and the right software you could predict whether tacking to cover would pay off. OR you could just use it to predict puffs and lulls and be ready for them. BMWO was always real smooth almost never getting caught by a puff. A huge advantage with a wing on a reach (or downwind?) PLUS a LIDR in this mode would see shifts ahead and when they would reach you.
All of these things depend on the right software and some way to display it so that it is meaningful. I think I would rather have this and a smart navigator to interpret it and ask smart questions than a slightly faster boat.
