Americas Cup
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@nzzp said in Americas Cup:
TNZ owned in the prestart - they keep falling off their foils. Could be a big issue for them
As I understand it, each team is allowed 3 sets of foils so they most likely have a light, mid, heavy air set to fit into the 6 to 21 knot range. I'm guessing about that and haven't found any info.
ETNZ may be going for a smaller / heavier air set than are ideal for the conditions to get reduced drag and better overall boat speed. The drawback would be less lift making slower speed start manoeuvres more difficult and falling off the foils more likely, as well as getting back up on them requiring more time, pointing lower, etc.
That is all supposition on my part but from memory the cats had different foils for different wind speeds.
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Is Ainslie just a bit shit?
When these boats are going flat out, thier top speeds look comparable, yet Ainslie seems to be making alot of errors
Team UK seem to have a different main-sail mechanism track too, looks a bit more clunky than the others?
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TNZ looks to have better speed but Barker seems to be schooling Burling
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BOat speed gets TNZ ahead, then Barker bombs a tac, all but game over
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Jeez UK are stuffed. Managed to get themselves a penalty by entering the start box a few seconds early. So they have to give USA a 50m gap after the start, they start neck and neck - race director reminds them that they have a penalty Ainslee ' don;t worry about that, it'll be washed off soon' Basically conceeding. Then they fall off the foils on the first turn
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Jeez UK are stuffed. Managed to get themselves a penalty by entering the start box a few seconds early. So they have to give USA a 50m gap after the start, they start neck and neck - race director reminds them that they have a penalty Ainslee ' don;t worry about that, it'll be washed off soon' Basically conceeding. Then they fall off the foils on the first turn
@Machpants Ainslie is struggling to get things going. When he's going, his speed matches, but everything else is shite
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Burling with his arse kicked on the start again
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Surely New Zealand can do better than Burling?
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and thats them done
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That looks like stunning incompetence at the first turn. Gets rid of the pretence that they're "trying things".
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oh wow, and now SPittle with a head scratcher
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Imagine a sail boat where you feel dead in the water at nine knots!
The great aspect of this class is how quickly things can change based on wind. Everything is mutliplied.
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TNZ superior boat speed is the difference really, all these teams making errors in the lighter winds
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Even the wife enjoyed that race
@Kiwiwomble was a pretty crazy race that one.
Right now, TNZ boat looks the fastest, saving them. But Barker then Spittle the best sailors, Ainslie well back from BUrling though.
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Surely New Zealand can do better than Burling?
The guy that won the last America’s Cup you mean?
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I speculated above as to why we might be a bit better in overall boat speed but struggling at the starts. Wind speed and foil selection. We're gambling a bit, testing, foils and setup combos (so is everyone else of course). Conditions are likely to be similar right through summer (average 10.8 to 11.3kts). That is not to say there won't be large deviations from that, but I think that is what we are trying to perfect, and it has been lighter than that this week.
As for the sailors / skippers - one of the comms (probably Lester) made an interesting comment about the relative backgrounds of Barker and Burling. Barker is a match racer. Burling mostly fleet races (Olympic silver, gold and 6 time world champion). Big difference in attitude. Barker needs to win the start, get in front and cover. Burling backs himself to pick the shifts, pressure, tide, current and get boat speed around the course. So reactive v proactive.
In the cats Burling's approach was successful because they were really match races in name only, it was a drag race and boat speed (and VMG) was king. In San Fran we know what happened to Barker, once Oracle had a competitive boat he needed to pick a shift, get separation, pressure, tide and just get one win.
With AC 75s both come in to play which is making it even more interesting I reckon.
