That's a toss up.

They did already break in 1 meter waves in RAK and had to put the boat back in the shed to repair a crack in one hull and reinforce them both.

While I agree they should have gone racing, I also think it would have been a big let down to have either boat fall apart out there before one race is even completed.

No win, no win. If they race and break, it doesn't look good. If they don't race because they are afraid of breaking, it doesn't look good.

Good point.

BMWO was ready to go. Alinghi clearly wasn't comfortable with the conditions. The RC didn't want the first race of the series to be a catastrophe and the weather was rough enough that BMWO wouldn't complain much, if at all. I think for the situation the PRO made the right call given the circumstances.

No, it's not glamorous and as you said earlier, this is why TV doesn't cover sailing over here. They simply can't accommodate this kind of scheduling problem.

so when is the next race?

Friday, they have one day on - one day off.

The PRO said that ever the past 3 weeks there have only been 5 days suitable for sailing. So don't hold your breath

What I dont understand is why BMWO didnt go out anyway, if they where ready what is stopping them from actually going out to the startline?

Saying you are ready is one thing, actually doing it another...

(btw, I just re-sent the email I sent to BMWO a few days ago to see USA17, I hope this time I will actually get a reply).

It was an onshore postponement.
Why would they? Do you sail out to the start line when racing has been canceled.The PRO isn't going to start a race just because one boat is out there if he wasn't going to start one anyway. I doubt they are willing to risk ANY damage just to prove a point, with nothing to gain.

Not sure what the issue is here. If the NOR says 15knots/1 metre and the conditions were beyond that it's a simple decision for the PRO. Anything else from either camp is just whinging............

What the hell? even an A class can handle that....
Why didn't they just race in the lakes in Switzerland......

[quote]Saying you are ready is one thing, actually doing it another...[quote]
I agree, talk is cheap, actions speak louder etc etc....

Everyone is going to blame the multihulls for a nonevent AC33, or so the word on the street is around here. bloody Public opinions.....

The NOR no longer says that - it is left up to the discretion of the PRO.

Good interview with some of the guys that designed, built the wing. They seem very confident about what they built.

http://www.sailinganarchy.com/otwa/2010/33ac_otw_archives.php?v=11

In case you don't have time, they were ready to go. The wing in 29 knots, no problem.

Precisely. Plus the waves were perpendicular to the wind. I guess it would have been postponed with monos just the same.

THAT RIDICULOUS STIPULATION IN THE NOR HAS BEEN REMOVED BY THE IJ!!!

Some good reading.

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/news/07/cf/#p58

I thought the Volvo tri's were tough as didn't they sail through the southern ocean.? What the (*)(*)(* happened in the AC boats? Did lawsuit blow the designs to hell?

Doug

volvo tris?

no such thing Doug.

You talking ORMA 60 tris?

When are they going to race! New rules 15knots/1 metre, juice can't be warm, eggs must be 80 degrees. and the mailman can't be late?

if I am not mistaken, I believe one of the rules for AC racing says that it must be sailed in Salt Water.
However, I wonder if the Great Salt Lake in Utah would meet that particular requirement.

For the questions here regarding the PRO decision, schedule, etc. go to alinghi.com and listen to the press conference given after the Wednesday scrub. The PRO gave his side, then got drilled by a bunch of reporters.

The question about schedule came up. He said that he had asked the teams, and they both agreed that they want to keep the every-other-day schedule. He said he might revisit this as time goes by...

He admits to not knowing the safety limits or even performance capabilities of these boats (who really does?).

While I agreed with a lot of what Cory Friedman said in Scuttlebutt, even at the AC (especially with all the worldwide audience), it would be a pretty foolish PRO to just run the race and see who survives. At a minimum, it would be hard to imagine finding work at that level ever again. I know it's in the DoG, but a race of attrition isn't really a sportsmanline race. At the end of the day, the general public wants to see this thing sailed as fairly as possible to find a winner. Not that EB or LE care, but this thing has enough of a black eye.

Mike