America's Cup

[DeRuyter]

Ok so the ships don't have a speck of wood on them, have two hulls and the only cannon is the starter's gun, but the racing has been exciting. It does give one a good impression of sailing angles especially upwind as these cats can't point as high as a monohull. Of course the VMG is 3x that of a monohull! The bleeding edge of sailing technology.

Any sailors out there been watching this? Anyone on the forum in SF seeing this live?

I can't imagine sailing (maybe flying is a better word!) at 40 knots! and 20 knots upwind. Winner take all today at 13:15 PST. Live on NBCSN in the US or on You Tube internationally.

http://www.americascup.com/en/

The cup's namesake is after all a wooden hulled schooner, similar in design and launched not long after, ships of our period!

Eric

[csadn]

Having the boats carrying guns would make the coverage more entertaining.... >:)

[Naharaht]

Congratulations to the American crew! It was an amazing comeback win!

[David Manley]

Another stirring victory for Sir Ben Ainsley, master tactician, and Aussie skipper Jimmy Spittill - well done chaps!

[Berthier]

Nearly all the crew were non American, majority Australian!

[DeRuyter]

Yes all true but the $$$ was American (Larry Ellison).

Some people do argue for a return of the nationality rule. I think the result hurts worse for the Kiwis, being beaten by an Aussie, a Brit and other Kiwi's! Of course it was a Kiwi (Russell Coutts) who originally defected to a European syndicate to grab the cup from his homeland.

There was also a very little publicized regatta called the Red Bull Youth America's Cup which did feature I think 10-11 truly national teams (it was fleet vs. match racing). I believe the Kiwi's did win that with a Portuguese team on the podium!

At least with the racing likely to stay in SF I have a better chance of seeing the next series!

Eric

[Coog]

Great news for David!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oth...me-around.html

I wonder if a British man-of-war will board the Oracle boat while she's on the waves and impress the crew???

[Devsdoc]

Great news for David!

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/oth...me-around.html

I wonder if a British man-of-war will board the Oracle boat while she's on the waves and impress the crew???

Hi you guy's,
I like David, I hope I can call him a friend. But he is not the only Brit on this site. Look left! or to port!
Be safe
Rory

[Naharaht]

The New Zealand boat was named Emirates so I assume that they had received money from the Middle East.

[7eat51]

Nearly all the crew were non American, majority Australian!

You should see our hockey team rosters.

Rory, trust me, you are unforgettable, and that in the best way.

I never followed the American Cup or other such racing venues. You folks have piqued my interest.

[Coog]

Hi you guy's,
I like David, I hope I can call him a friend. But he is not the only Brit on this site. Look left! or to port!
Be safe
Rory

Sorry Rory. I'll remember to fire a few shots your way in the future.

[Clipper1701]

Cheers to the Americans this time! With two son's having defected to New Zealand its good to see us win! Will we see these exotic craft grace the new mats someday soon? Or will I need the naval elves to get carving the carbon fiber supply in the shop?

[Nightmoss]

Cheers to the Americans this time! With two son's having defected to New Zealand its good to see us win! Will we see these exotic craft grace the new mats someday soon? Or will I need the naval elves to get carving the carbon fiber supply in the shop?

Might be a bit down the road time wise, but I'd certainly enjoy seeing the work of the naval elves. The aerial elves do some pretty fantastic work for sure, so the wet ones are probably just as impressive?

[David Manley]

Cheers to the Americans this time!

American - there was only one on the crew after they ditched the original strategist. The rest were Aussies and a Knight of the Realm

[Coog]

American - there was only one on the crew after they ditched the original strategist. The rest were Aussies and a Knight of the Realm

Sounds like grounds for debasement!

[David Manley]

He was in de boat, not de basement :)

[Coog]

He was in de boat, not de basement :)

That sounds like the kind of bad joke a Yank would make!

[csadn]

He was in de boat, not de basement :)

Wouldn't that be De Orlop Deck, then? ;)

As to "team-member nationalities": I'm reminded of the opening narration from _BASEketball_, particularly the part comparing players to "hired guns of the Old West".

And why is the following phrase floating across my mind: "Jamaican Bobsled Team"? >;)

[7eat51]

He was in de boat, not de basement :)

That sounds like the kind of bad joke a Yank would make!

Schooner or later someone was bound to make just such a joke.

[csadn]

Schooner or later someone was bound to make just such a joke.

Brig whoop.

[David Manley]

Snow joke. If it keeps up like this someone's throwing their toys out the praam

[David Manley]

The New Zealand boat was named Emirates so I assume that they had received money from the Middle East.

It would be more honest if they gave up the pretence that these were national teams, wouldn't it?

[Gunner]

It would be more honest if they gave up the pretence that these were national teams, wouldn't it?

Does that mean the Liverpool football (soccer) team should all come from Liverpool?

[Cmmdre]

It would be more honest if they gave up the pretence that these were national teams, wouldn't it?

Arg...the sea she knows no nation. Money however is a currency that wins cups. A boat is a hole in the water you throw money into.

[Gunner]

Arg...the sea she knows no nation. Money however is a currency that wins cups. A boat is a hole in the water you throw money into.

Well put Paul.

[Clipper1701]

Putting the finishing touches on a 1/1000" scale Oracle catamaran, its tiny! .866" long .55" beam and the mast stands 1.57" tall, will post pictures soon!

[Gunner]

Putting the finishing touches on a 1/1000" scale Oracle catamaran, its tiny! .866" long .55" beam and the mast stands 1.57" tall, will post pictures soon!

Looking forward to seeing the pictures.

[Clipper1701]

Rigging is driving me crazy! At this scale everything I have just looks wrong! May have to break into my indoor metal supply, have some .0001 wire somewhere . . . or not!

[David Manley]

Does that mean the Liverpool football (soccer) team should all come from Liverpool?

That would not seem entirely unreasonable. Might do something to can those obscene amounts of money that clubs spend on transfer fees too.

Not just soccer though. I have friends in the US who lament the lack of any local talent in their football teams.

[David Manley]

Rigging is driving me crazy! At this scale everything I have just looks wrong! May have to break into my indoor metal supply, have some .0001 wire somewhere . . . or not!

That really would be something I wouldn't bother about. Its minimal and incredibly fine in the real thing, and almost completely unnoticeable in any "distant" photos of the AC72. Unless you were using spider silk threads or human hairs whatever you use is likely to look well out of place.

[Gunner]

David, if your wife or lady has long hair, get your scissors out.

[Gunner]

That would not seem entirely unreasonable. Might do something to can those obscene amounts of money that clubs spend on transfer fees too.

Not just soccer though. I have friends in the US who lament the lack of any local talent in their football teams.

It's rare for any professional team in the U.S. to have more than two members playing for the city that they were born and raised in.

[David Manley]

Don't the teams actually move around as well? Didn't the Washington Nats baseball team (incidentally the home team in the only baseball game I've ever attended) move down from Montreal or something?

[Gunner]

Don't the teams actually move around as well? Didn't the Washington Nats baseball team (incidentally the home team in the only baseball game I've ever attended) move down from Montreal or something?

Oh yah. The Los Angeles Dodgers started in Brooklyn New York. The Arizona Cardinals started in Chicago, Illinois, etc. etc.

[7eat51]

That would not seem entirely unreasonable. Might do something to can those obscene amounts of money that clubs spend on transfer fees too.

Not just soccer though. I have friends in the US who lament the lack of any local talent in their football teams.

I remember in the 60s and 70s, there were many, many players who spent their careers playing for one team. Even if they weren't from Chicago, they became Chicagoans to us. They were our players. Today, forget about it. Ever since the first baseball strike, my desire to follow professional sports plummeted. With the exception of the Chicago Bulls in the 90s, I never felt like I was watching "our" team. I know it would radically change the composition of teams and the game, but I would be in favor of local talent. Although we would have to train players on the White Sox and Tigers what "stealing bases" means in baseball terms.

[Gunner]

What Eric said.
But I still love DA BEARS and CUBS. But with the Cubs, like many love stories, it seems to be one sided.

[csadn]

Oh yah. The Los Angeles Dodgers started in Brooklyn New York. The Arizona Cardinals started in Chicago, Illinois, etc. etc.

"Soon it was commonplace for entire teams to change cities in search of greater profits. The Minneapolis Lakers moved to Los Angeles where there are no lakes. The Oilers moved to Tennessee where there is no oil. The Jazz moved to Salt Lake City where they don't allow music. The Oakland Raiders moved to Los Angeles, then back to Oakland -- no one in L. A. seemed to notice." [Narrator, _BASEketball]

[Gunner]

I lived in the Oakland area for seven years, and I can guarantee that the Oakland fans noticed. Also lived in SoCal when they moves south. Didn't go to many games there because I don't like that part of LA. (I'm hard pressed to think of any part of LA that I like.)

[Clipper1701]

You all sound like a bunch of land lubbers! To the waves! A lousy but inspiring photo of our goal:



The bits copied into sticker paper, cut out and attached to plastic sheet and rods



And her she is! I dispensed with the rigging at this point and she looks good to me! Assembled and ready for details



Rudders and daggar boards



Ready to face the World!



Fun fast build, I think the naval elves might be a bit faster than their cousins . . .

[Gunner]

Ingenious, have you cut anyone's hair for the rigging yet?

[Clipper1701]

Yikes! I just turned my back a few moments!



Appears these naval elves are cut from the same cloth, sail cloth?

[Gunner]

Now if you can mount a 6 pounder on her, she'll run circles around any gun ship.

[David Manley]

Better break out the old Avalon Hill sailing racing game again

[DeRuyter]

Better break out the old Avalon Hill sailing racing game again

Fun but now you'll need to work up some house rules for catamarans!