I think this also drags in that other discussion about using the rules to your advantage as part of the winning strategy..

Like the pre-start hooking on several races, the hunting (upwind and downwind) on that particular race with NZL and SWE

first impression was that NZL threw that protest up just to see if it would stick. And when it actually did stick, I was taken aback a bit.


I only saw the TV episode, but with closing speeds at that last leeward turning mark approaching 40-50 knots it would be really hard for that tactician (or the on-water umpire) to be able to say that it didn't look like NZL would have to alter course...



It even looked like NZL was hunting right before they executed that horrible gybe, and it almost looked like SWE did drive around it.

But that was (in my opinion) the most exciting of the races so far. I'm off to check the Youtube replay....

I don't think I saw the protest light pushed from NZ and it was an afterthought when Burling completely blundered the jibe. Burling rambled on in the interview, and completely dance around the question about "hitting the button". Sounded and looked like a deer in the headlights. Nathan's interview addressed his strategy, and intended execution. I call BS on NZ and Burling. He would have been better off just saying he was lucky to get the point and then STFU.

Post Race Interview

+1

"Don't try to sell something that's already sold"

Agreed about the interviews. As I posted in the other thread, they have a long way to go to earn my respect as sportsmen. Ainsle didn't once mention concern for the health of the guys he nearly killed. Burling basically admitted to calling for an umpire call out of desperation, and had the gall to say that in all pro sports, you play to the whistle. Yikes...

Jake, I hear you about needing final decisions in a match race, but this is the America's Cup. They should be able to resolve this in a jury afterwards, and let that be the final call. They could award/strip points, call for a re-sail, etc. Just my opinion, of course...

Anyway, today is a new day, and I'm rooting for Nathan!!!

Mike

Focking commercials. Really NBC???

I'm watching on the phone app for the first time today. Fewer ads than I'd expected so far, but I think I missed something near the end. Was SWE given a penalty after the last weather gate?

Very close race until they blew it in the approach to that last weather gate.

Mike

BT Sport is not running ads during the race. I'm viewing multiple feeds simultaneously. The time away during commercials with NBCSN there is good and valuable content on BT Sport.

Cammas just embarrassed himself twice. Totally hosed in the pre-start, then an unforced error, sailing out of bounds on the first run. Wow...

Mike

Someone remind me why Oracle is sailing in the challenger series again?
IMHO they have no business being there.

Basically, because they can. Also, there is no Defender series (no domestic challengers) as there were many years ago.

Mike

It does work two ways...the competitors get an idea how far ahead (or behind) Oracle is on boat speed. The defender has argued about being in the challenger series for as long as I remember (going well back into the monohull days) but it was never allowed. There are a couple of reasons and the most prominent is probably an argument about the number of competitors. There really aren't that many challengers and the last round robin was boring as heck with only three challengers - although the sliver suited sailors were fun to watch. There aren't THAT many challengers this time around either and one more boat in the mix does make for a more eventful series.

To offset the challenger concerns about Oracle being in the series, a point carry-over for the winner of the challenger round robin series to the finals match was added into the mix....and Oracle could win that point advantage too (it's actually a negative point for the other team but I digress).

I see the argument both ways and I don't have an issue with Oracle being in the round robin...Oracle risks showing that they have more speed and better boat handling and giving the other teams a better idea of where they need to be to take them down. That equation could just as easily go the other way and Oracle could see how far behind they are and need to improve before the finals. With either scenario, though, it serves to believe that we'll see a tightly contested finals match given how much head to head time the challenger and defender have had against each other leading up to the series.

what is that regular "klunk" noise on the SWE boat? Something with hydraulics I suppose

I remember day one seeing video from the bowsprit where the clunk noise synchronized with the jib downhaul, so maybe that's it. What I did see is the jib downhaul movement was instant and very mechanical (several inches).

+1

Who knows, even with all this high-speed tech, it may end up boiling down to the same things that won all those AC matches in the past....
- good dial up
- picking the right side of the course
- working the opponent's weakness (maneuver, top speed, angles)
- smooth transitions
- forcing opponent error


I still like the pedal power concept on ENTZ.

I think it will end up being the same as last time for sure!
Larry and his huge wallet will pay off the competitors if it gets close

This is total speculation, but... I'm guessing that it also has something to do with the one boat per team rule. If all teams (defender and challenger) are limited to a single boat, how do you test? Back in the monohull days, most of the teams (especially the defender) ran multi-boat programs. Allowing the defender into the challenger round robins would reduce the cost for the defender by not having to build/test/maintain a second platform.

It also makes for better media, one more boat on the water to race.

I think it SUCKS that we don't have multiple US teams in a defender series. That's probably the biggest thing I miss from the old format. That, and better nationality rules.

Mike

Finally got the video working again. There is a new button to click and insert the URL of the video. It is automatically sized and embedded from just the url.

Awesome, thanks Damon!

I really want to see Artemis crawl back into this. Nothing but respect for how Nathan has been handling himself, at least what I've seen so far in interviews.

Do the scores reset after the initial round robins?

Mike