Thanks

Since I didn't watch the BT version with Cayard (probably should, but I do like Nathan & Draper's comments).. Too bad the three of them couldn't be on the same show.

Questions:
- Did Oracle really remove an accumulator? If so, Burling needs to drive all over him to force maneuvers and kill the oil pressure
- Oracle does have trouble getting up on foils in the light stuff, so I could see how NZL could pull off that hook.
- Did Draper really say that Ashby has something of an "app for that"? I think he said Algorithm that sets wing parameters... like you were saying about "following the dot" He also said Tuke was controlling the ride foils.

The guy who washes the wing at night likely has more sailing ability in his pinky finger than I will ever get during my life, so major props to all the teams (FRA included). This has been the most exciting cup series I've watched since the 80's. No one has really run away with things (well, except for NZL lately but I don't think it's due to groundbreaking design like AUS II or the USA trimaran).

There were plenty of nail-biter races (SWE/NZL comes to mind most often), and deltas of 30 seconds are considered "runaway" victories.... Hell, I remember deltas of 5 minutes or more being a close race in days of yore...

And whether the AC developed these technologies or not, I do hope some of it trickles down to the rest of sailing. Automated ride height, wing foil controls, and even basic foil shapes should make sport boat/multihull sailing more fast, safe and fun.

It hasn't been that bad this time around...there was some slightly snarky stuff from Spithill on Saturday. The last iteration, though, really set off New Zealand and their media is really being tough on him. As is Clean from Sailing Anarchy. Clean asked him if he felt like he was too old and then started asking Burling if he expected Oracle to switch helmsmen. Some New Zealand media asked Jimmy (and I paraphrase loosely) if he was saying that a team sponsored by a computer / data company was having trouble with their computers/data on the start line. Ouch.

Oh, and BTW, it's our very own Laura Muma - Chicago and Florida catsailor (A-cat & F18) who is hosting many of those press conferences!

Isn't Ding her crew sometimes?

I didn't hear about them actually removing anything other than the stairstepper but I suppose it's possible. I heard in one of the rule press conferences from Saturday that the class legal boat weight is X +/- 100kgs and they're limited to only making 100kg changes at a time (I think I have that right but you may want to double check that before you put down any money on it!). So, they are limited in how much they can remove...but getting 200lbs out of the boat is quite a lot of stuff being chucked overboard. IF Oracle wasn't sailing right near the minimum weight to begin with, this is another example of them just not being prepared in my opinion.

I still think they're all still guessing a good deal at what control systems they have employed. Remember, though, the rules are very clear: data systems and control systems have to be mechanically and electrically isolated. All wiring has to be clearly labeled and both systems have to have their own electrical disconnect. A computer cannot read a sensor and make an adjustment. A computer can recommend an adjustment and the sailor can react to that recommendation but it has to be on a different device. A computer also cannot recommend an adjustment and perform any mechanical guidance to making that adjustment. All control input has to be "manual" although "manual" can include some degree of firing off timed sequences of control motions (I'm not 100% clear on if that timed sequence can include more than one action per control input but I suspect that it can).

Yes

LR as COR? On boy. They're probably the only ones (of recent entries) with the spite to want to go back to monohulls.

Mike

Supposedly someone interviewed Bertarelli and he said that he was ready to jump back into the AC on the current boats - So who knows whats in store for the future. All I know is that I don't trust the Kiwis. They're vindictive and spiteful - well at least Dalts is.

The kiwis don't want an $$ arms race. They struggled with funding this cycle. The current cycle format works in their favor.

I do see NZ government throwing some resources at it if they are defenders.

Any attempt to shrink teams and budgets have failed miserably. Sure, there are fewer sailors, but the support teams are massive. It may not be realistic, but I'd really rather have it be the other way around.

BTW, where has Uncle Larry been hiding? I seem to recall him being front and center during the last cycle.

Mike

I just saw a forecast of 5 mph or less for today. What are you guys seeing?

Mike

Winds 182 degrees at 9.9 knts, 10.5 peak

I can't get logged into NBC Sports Network or even get to a login screen on the live screen - anybody else having trouble?

Jake, I have 2 accounts, it happened to me on one of them, the other is working fine. . . . so F*ck NBC

A.W.E.S.O.M.E. Thanks

I agree with the split there...it was a closer gate.

I agree with the NATURE of that split...I can't see the breeze on this low resolution and multitasking on a conference call ;-)

I was having the same problem on Chrome, even after clearing cookies, etc. No problem on FireFox, didn't even ask me to log in.

We're pretty screwed in this race. Great job at the start, but getting passed like that downwind is not a good omen. Neither Nathan nor Draper were impressed with the gybe before the gate, they would have followed and tacked to gain the split.

NZL just blew a tack!

Mike

This is tough. Oracle gained on a right shift, then went all the way to the left, getting out of phase, and sailed into a hole...

Fat Lady cued up?

Mike

My feed dropped out!!!!!

Ok, I'm back, but this isn't looking better. USA tacked back to the right near the top gate, NZL covering. USA tacked back to stbd, NZL covering.

We need a miracle.

Mike