Gary Jobson also pointed out that ETNZ was running a tall, skinny jib, vs. Oracle's shorter, wider jib. One thing about a self tacking jib, the foot has to be shorter than the distance from the mast base to the tack point.

I'm not sure that the jib Oracle was using today had a short enough foot for use with a self tacker. Do they even have a taller, blade type jib? And why don't they have a self tacker anyway?

The only engineering data supporting a lower aspect jib is the higher Reynolds number encountered (not even a factor at these speeds), and the only other possible reason is purely down to wing design (I'm not a C-class guy sorry).

Higher aspect jib is less draggy, and obviously the self-tacker is faster in umm, the tacks! So WTF Oracle??

And beach cats for 12 years.

^^THIS^^ (that was what I was getting at).

We don't have self tackers because the crew has too much to do. We have them because they trim immediately and help draw the bow down through the tack. I put in requests downwind and have Ted sing me songs while we sail and tack upwind.

What's that sound? Nothing, that's just the fat lady, who's all warmed up and ready for this weekend...

Time to start working on those Kiwi accents, boys...

Mike

PS: Not to defend Kenny, but I thought he said "normal" boats don't have self-tackers. Not that that's any better, really...

Also, according to Gary, my Wave should out-tack a H16? Cool...

Not surprising after all the Artemis mistakes:

"Percy has already signed on to sail with him, assuming the role of team manager and succeeding Cayard, Tornqvist said today."
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-...cup-imperils-sailors-pursuing-speed.html

Race Stats

RACE 6 DATA
Course: 5 Legs/10.14 nautical miles
Elapsed Time: ETNZ – 31:39, OTUSA – 32:26
Delta: ETNZ +:47
Total distance sailed: ETNZ – 12.3 NM, OTUSA – 12.3 NM
Average Speed: ETNZ – 23.43 knots (27 mph), OTUSA – 22.91 knots (26 mph)
Top Speed: ETNZ – 38.55 knots (44 mph), OTUSA – 40.21 knots (46 mph)
Windspeed: Average – 11.6 knots, Peak – 13.4 knots

RACE 7 DATA
Course: 5 Legs/10.14 nautical miles
Elapsed Time: ETNZ – 24:48, OTUSA – 25:54
Delta: ETNZ +1:06
Total distance sailed: ETNZ – 11.6 NM, OTUSA – 12.0 NM
Average Speed: ETNZ – 28.32 knots (32 mph), OTUSA – 27.86 knots (32 mph)
Top Speed: ETNZ – 44.73 knots (51 mph), OTUSA – 41.00 knots (47 mph)
Windspeed: Average – 16.3 knots, Peak – 17.8 knots

http://www.americascup.com/en/news/...-americas-cup-final#.UjJlf8bDxu4.twitter

The self tacking jib probably helps marignally in and of itself. The real adavantage comes from having the 2 guys oracle has gringing on the front sail available to work the foils and mainsail so their boat attitude stays true and the main comes over faster.

I do have to give huge credit to JS and the team for the dramatic turnaround in starts. They went from being completely trounced at the start of the series, to owning the starts and really frustrating DB.

If they can pull such a turnaround with their upwind performance, we have a chance. Otherwise, bring back the foiling tacks and any other crazy stunts for the entertainment value...

Mike

You guys can still feel some national pride - we have more US guys on the ETNZ design team than Oracle has on the boat.

Hah. True that. It's some of the same guys that put a lot of our current boats on paper. I just have my fingers crossed that NZ will stay with some sort of multihull and learn from this iteration. Given their background, they should be pretty focused on cost effective rules so we have the possibility of seeing sizable fleets again.

At the dock out show yesterday I talked to one of the Oracle designers. I asked him why they didn't go with a self tracker on the jib and he said that it was a decision made early in the design process to help keep weight down and he said that the sailors wanted the option of backwinding it for maneuverability. Unfortunately it appears to be a major downfall off the boat. You can see the whole rig move when the pop the jib during a tack. I also asked if the kiwis can tack faster because of the additional rocker in their hulls and he mentioned that the boats had "almost the same amount of rocker but the tacks are all about foil work." Maybe if the jib grinders were able to adjust foils instead you'd see similar performance.

I've spoken to quite a few kiwis out here who have been good natured and graceful in victory (totally unlike those kiwi fans on the Internet, my God twitter is horrible) and they all seem to think that it will stay in multihulls . It seems that everyone thinks that a smaller 72 would be perfect. Something like a 60 or 55.

There has been more exposure, interest, and coverage for the non sailing public than ever before. ACWS, Liveline, Virtual Eye, stadium venues, and Nascar style racing is a winner. LE had the right idea. Let's hope it carries forward.

How many people are at the actual event? No so many, I think the stadium thing is over rated what in my view has been the advance in the media display. Way more people are watching on TV and the internet than will ever be there in person. The graphics and lines on the screen etc make it all the sudden a bit more understandable to the gereal public and now they can show some interest.

You can't backwind a jib with a selftacker?
Funny thing is that I have seen Jimmy do this in person at the F18 Worlds where he was crewing for Ashby :-)

I'm here in SF now and the crowd on Sunday was massive. Hardly any seats open in the grandstands and thousands lining the beach. The concessions dude I spoke to said that they grossly underestimated how many people would show up and they had to order a lot more beer and food to sell.
The experience here is something you really have to check out for yourself before you poopoo it. Definitely everyone here is loving the whole thing.

Holy hell I forgot to me ton that yesterday at the AC village the checkout line at the big schwag store wrapped around the entire store!

"Way more people are watching on TV and the internet than will ever be there in person."

True of any major sport, and basically the whole goal. The money is in the TV ads you can sell. Takes a whole lot of t-shirts (even at SF prices) to make up for that...

Mike