uuuugghh... According to the front page of Sailing Anarchy this morning, the wind limit / decision to start or stop racing doesn't fall to the PRO as we had thought. It falls to the SNG (Alinghi's club) "racing committee" of which the PRO, Harold Bennett, only has one vote. Also on the committee, is the antagonistic mouth piece for SNG, Fred Meyer who undoubtedly had a strong hand in writing in the (since deemed illegal) limits into the original NOR. Fred apparently showed up the first day wearing an Alinghi jacket and Harold made him turn it inside out so as to not broadcast it's colors and allegiance. With light air racing likely benefiting Alinghi's design, and a world of reasons a race committee can cancel a race, I've got a bad feeling about this.

It now looks like the tarp is just covering some new fangled electronics...not sure what exactly but we have identified a camera poking out above it.

interesting read:

http://www.yachtingworld.com/performance-world/news/441370/america-s-cup-pressure-building

The fact that Fred Meyer has any kind of say-so in whether or not to race makes me frigid. I was 100% sure that BMWO was going to win once the IJ told them that no wind limits would be imposed by the NOR but now that its up to the RC/PRO I'm not so sure.

Its going to be a snafu if its blowing 8 knots and the SNG committee says "sorry can't race". A

haha, frigid

Trey said you were easy.

Well, that may be true. You just never asked big boy.

I'm going to be very surprised if at least one racing official doesn't walk off the event in anger....like what almost happened in AC32 over a very controversial "halyard gate" protest committee ruling in favor of Alinghi that went 3/2 and the 2 judges in favor of penalizing Alinghi were outraged (and reasonably so).

awesome - judges emoragequitting.

the holding club has always made the challenger jump through hoops.. The NYYC was superb in doing this..

RC talking about the wing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO7plJLj-T8&feature=channel

NYYC was a bit forceful on some issues back in the day...but just because someone else did it doesn't make it any less wrong. It was never, ever done to this degree.

I love how everyone holds that up like we're all members of the NYYC and had something to do with that.

you're not?? I just mailed my renewal back off last week.

We booted your horse lovin' keister. No NYYC for you.

Under the canvas? "The Man Shed" banner.

The more I learned about the court dealings the more I feel the wish for some high ranking racing official to act like a normal parent who pulls tow kids apart and tells them very forcefully.

"I don't care WHO started ! Now I'm in charge and we are going to do things my way because you two obviously can't work out things for yourself."

Rule number 1

-1- We're racing in anything that will see you guys do the course under 6 hours with winds up to 25 knots without a limit to swell height. This is the bloody Mediterranean, you don't get large swells here.

-2- BMWO can park their boat anywhere they like as long as the can make it to the starting area in time.

-3- We'll do a race series of best of 7; it is afterall as much a desigers/construction match as a sailing match. Thus show the audience that you haven't build one-days wonders

-4- 1 race per day and you can repair anything in the time we're not racing.

-5- Alinhgy may use their 3D sails. Limiting them to only Swiss based cloths and sailmakers constitudes an unfair disavantage with respect to any USA based team.

-6- DURING racing neither boat may use any external weather help or any electric equipment that measures the weather beyond 10 meters away from any point of the boat itself. We are testing sailing skills of the crew here and not who can program the best optimization routines to route a path through a completely known environment.

-7- You can use any water ballasting that you like in any way you see fit.

-8- No longer shall any boat be disqualified during measuring as long as no critical feature is altered in its specs after last week. We're racing these boats for kicks now and history will judge which team conquered the high ground irrespectly of who wins the most races.

-9- Both teams will shut the f@ck up and play nice during the event. This is the biggest showcase of sailing worldwide and I won't let any overblown ego, and that means your ego's Ernest and Larry !, to sour the milk for all those sailing enthousiasts and lobbists out there. Money had given both of you a high standing and now it is time to rise to the expectations and duties that come with such elevated and privilegded positions. You are now both ambassadors of the same SHARED goal and that is too make this event a success and show the beauty of sailing.

-10- I always reserve the right to make a binding (Salomon inspired) judgement in any case of contention. By default my ruling shall be "Shut the %@#^% up and race !"

-11- Any rule breaking of the above regulations by either team will see them forfit the race of the day. If you don't like that then go home and cry to your mama, because I sure as hell will give you the cold shoulder.

-12- Simply put, to either of you I'm God and not that softy version of the new testament. If you are in doubt with what that means I refer you to this Ezekiel 25:17

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=czb4jn5y94g


Now, did I make myself prefectly clear ?

...

DID ... I ... MAKE ...

Ernesto : "yes sir"
Larry : "How high ?"


Good.

Now lets race.

Wouter

New video from BMWO - WOW. Crank it!

At 2:43 you can see, what looks like, one of Ernesto's ultralights checking out/spying on the boat.

I'm pretty sure that's a sunglint...go to highres and watch full screen.

at 2:10 you can see Spithill crossing the boat on the rear beam.