After the BS in the last ACWS, they should just have the teams rotate the boats. I suppose it helps the design teams with development for the 62s, but at some point, playing with the 45s should be left to the sailing teams, and to restore a sense of fairness to the ACWS, make it SMOD, and rotate on through.

Mike

What if I went and did something to the boat I've just stepped off of? Like changed a setting?

I thought they were SMOD last time?

They were...the problem was that there was a common problem with the strikers on the poles and all the teams were allowed to make repairs to it. One team decided to take their modifications too far.

The boats were SMOD, but the soft sails weren't. You could use design elements to reduce/eliminate adjustments, and if necessary, use observers.

I think the BAR video about the foil design work got me thinking out loud...

Mike

Finally, venue for 2017 America’s Cup to be announced on December 2.

Any prognosticators out there want to guess the venue?

Dego.

Diego! sigh..... do you think they will ever hit 30 knots again?

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cT8sIT4vBUQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT8sIT4vBUQ
ron burgundy's pronunciation

I usually get these wrong...so take that with a grain of salt.

DUDE...what are you talking about??

The info-mercial said they have 8 knots of wind 93% of the time...

And everyone knows you can easily go over 30kts in 8kts wind!

;^)

Isn't Bermuda hurricane territory?

Yeah, they just took a direct hit a few weeks ago. But they can pick their season and be out of any hurricane risk.

I saw a report late last night where an insider leak indicated it was Bermuda.

honestly, where else do you get predictable wind and challenging tides like SF?

Possibly in the trade-wind belt which would have made the Caribbean a possibility if they could host such a thing?

But I suspect they'd never be able to come up with the concessions the AC folk wanted.

OOOH! Host it over at that speed trench thingy where Vestas hit 60 kts.

From Latitude 38:

The America’s Cup Event Authority has forwarded Latitude 38 an "exclusive invitation" — which they’ve no doubt given to countless others — to attend a press conference at the Crosby Hotel in Manhattan on December 2 for the announcement of the venue for the 35th America’s Cup.

Apparently it's not necessary for us to attend, though, as an unnamed source believed to be in the know has spilled the beans to the Associated Press. That source says it's going to be Bermuda, not San Diego. If true, it's not surprising, as the ACEA announced recently that Bermuda had been chosen as one of the venues for next year's foiling AC45 competition, the America's Cup World Series.

Six teams have said they are committed to the event. They are: Artemis Racing, Sweden; Ben Ainslie Racing, UK; Emirates Team New Zealand; Luna Rossa Challenge, Italy; Team France; and the defender, Oracle Team USA.

will it be any more difficult to draw spectators to Bermuda than it would San Diego... The spectators with money, that is...

The tax dodge is a cool angle, but can't you do that in Virgin Islands, too?

Perhaps they are focusing more on the media presence than the physical spectator presence, given how many of us watched it on the web?

I'm starting to sound like the Batman cliffhanger at the end of the weekly show...

In Bermuda, the time zones work out better for viewing live in Europe too...and, sailing might be a little more likely to get major network coverage there.

It's Bermuda according to sources quoted by the Wall Street Journal.

So much for the big announcement Dec. 2.

Either location will have a fair amount of light to moderate wind. I wonder if they will have to re-design the foil packages to cut drag in the non-foiling conditions? The A class deals with sailing in light wind with foilers already. Perhaps some trickle up will take place.
Seems like it could be any one's race. It will be tough for OR to keep the cup.
Also, won't it be tricky to have a base in Bermuda with a composites workshop for developing the boat? Hefty fedex bills ahead.
The good news for fans is the 45 racing in some windy venues, and the news that they will continue to race into the future after AC35.