Yeah, I was struggling with the physics on this but if you take it to the extreme and consider a surface with absolutely no friction, you really don't care how fast that surface is moving as long as it isn't tied to your motive force. So, as your friction on your running surface is reduced, the amount it moves is less important to your true motion...you guys are right. I think the foil drag is still significant so current does come into play (most definitely upwind) but it is significantly less a factor than it would be on a 6knot SB. If the effect of water current on the old slow monodulls was 90%, I suspect it's closer to as little as 25-30% on the 72 cats.

What I do think was interesting is the commentator's statement that the maximum windspeed allowable for racing was adjusted by factoring in current...funny, this.

Big Blue

Go get 'em!

As I consider this further, I think the current still does have some impact on different points of sail - consider reaching when the current and the wind are in the same direction and you are moving perpendicular to them both...the water movement does subtract from the overall wind here because the boat is having to directly compensate for the additional slip to leeward that subtracts from (or push to windward that adds to) the wind. On this point of sail, if the boat doesn't have any friction in the water, they're just sliding down the course.

hell yeah

I'm smiling

Let her fly!

So the big question is will they race Sat.? I sure hope so, even if it's a rout.

What is the skin on that rear beam made of. It has the same look as the wing.

[img:left]http://photo.americascup.com/index....mp;FolioID=1358&numpage=31&pre=g[/img]


Edit: How do I enable HTML on my posts?

Based on comments above - I see very little chance of them being out this weekend other than to shake the boat out...

That said - I'm excited to see them out there and wish them luck!

Watch this.

Agreed. I doesn't really matter until semi-finals August 6, but TOW, starts, etc. can only help.

Beautiful

I would guess based on the images we're seeing today - testing is going pretty damn well!!! Those guys - that crew, they've gotta be so stoked... Testament to the whole operation....

Great image find Philip!

Great to see a 3rd boat. I hope they race even if it's a take it easy lap around the course.

The smile tells it all . . .

"Artemis will miss its seventh scheduled race in the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series Thursday, so Luna Rossa will sail unopposed. It is not known when the Swedish team will enter the regatta, but it probably won't happen until the semifinals start Aug. 6."

Artemis-happy-with-initial-test-run-in-new-boat