Americas Cup

[rsterne]

This is where I watch the racing live.... Our internet is about 3 MBps, and it hardly ever spools for a few seconds, 99% live or better....

https://www.americascup.com/en/live

I goes live at 7 PM Pacific time.... 

Bob

[Stinger177]

Thanks Bob, but that link goes to a site where they're asking me to subscribe for $130.

I have access to Comcast, and the NBCSports network channel, but it is never accurate pertaining to the A/C.

 

[rsterne]

I haven't paid a penny, it's free on the internet, has been all along.... Here is a screenshot of what I see....



I get there using this trail of links....

https://www.americascup.com/

Scroll down and click on "How to Watch"....

https://www.americascup.com/how-to-watch

Scroll down to "Watch On Online" and click the "Watch Now" button, it takes you to the link I posted in the last post....

https://www.americascup.com/en/live

The clock in the lower left is now counting down from 56:19.... When you mouse over the page, it brings up you choice of several cameras, including a "Virtual Eye".... but they aren't active until the clock hits "zero"....

Bob

[rsterne]

First race to the Kiwi's.... but not a runaway.... 

Bob

[Stinger177]

Thank you guys for the heads up info.

I'm actually able to watch it right now and prep for recording.

I'll ignore the spoiler 

[Novagun]

Should Team New Zealand be worried?  Yes they should. I am anxious
This could be a drawn out contest. Maybe both boats are just probing each other at the moment and have more show. Not likely but Luna Rossa  seemed to operate very smoothly just sitting on top of Te Rehutai all the way in the second race. Both boats are pretty good performers but  win the start and control the race.  Well done Luna Rossa.
Tomorrow we go again.  Woops, Friday we go again.

[rsterne]

So far, that has been the story of every race I have watched.... win the start and don't make any mistakes and you're A-OK.... Unless you don't cover and there is a wind shift, there is no reason to lose a match race to a boat of similar speed, once you get out of the gate in front.... and it actually takes quite a speed advantage to pass if the boat ahead sails well....

I used to love match racing, won quite a few in R/C Yachts just by sailing smart.... 

Bob

[Stinger177]

Question:

In the overhead helicopter shots, what do the sequenced colored circles represent in the path of the boats? Are those ten meter distances or something?

I used to know this stuff.

 

[rsterne]

I think they are about 1 second of travel?.... SPOILER ALERT !!!!




















Well, it's all tied up at 2 races apiece.... One small error from the Italians when their Port board didn't go down all the way on a gybe approaching the 2nd mark.... They had to come up onto a reach to keep the hull out of the water and barely made the bottom gate.... The series is now a best 5 out of 9.... 

Bob

[Stinger177]

Thanks.

And yes, I just saw it live, so there was no spoiler this time.

I still say that in the first race, it appeared that Luna was pointing higher upwind. But that second race was brilliant, especially the way the Kiwi's forced Luna at the start.

Now, I don't remember my rules these days, but if both boats are on starboard, does the leward boat have the right of way? That's how the Kiwi's positioned themselves at that start.

 

[Novagun]

What a classic race for Luna Rossa in the first race. Well done. They do have Jimmy Spittal on board. Then a completely different race from Peter Burling. Burling has never lost a yachting contest -----yet.  That reputation is not going to be enough this time.
And so the anxiety continues tomorrow.  Oh for some wind, say 20 knots but not tomorrow I think.

41 knots boat speed in 9. something knots of wind, maybe a bit of a gust . Amazing. I will have to study the vectors to get my head around that.
True windspeed was low all day.

[rsterne]

if both boats are on starboard, does the leward boat have the right of way?

Correct, provide they are not behind "mast abeam" and sailing above their "proper course".... The second caveat is hard to prove with these boats, as they have such a wide combination of possible course/velocity combinations that they "can" sail, it's just that some are faster than others.... Add in coming up to start, and the interpretation gets even trickier, I would think.... Did you see the diamond shaped "box" that the officials can superimpose on the video from above which gives the "safe space" for each yacht?.... It is large enough to enclose the bowsprit and foils, plus a bit extra for safety.... If the outside of the "boxes" touch, somebody is likely to get a penalty.... That luff at the start of Race 2 had the "boxes" within a meter of each other.... 

Bob

[Stinger177]

I did see the diamond shape superimposed on the Race 2 start. That was very close, but apparently still legal.

I so miss the days of Dennis Conner back in the '80's, when if they didn't actually HIT each other, all was good, except for ruled fouls. That was some great match racing back then.

Kinda hard to interpret the tactics these days. At such higher speeds, I really can't imagine that there could be any significant wind blocking from the boat ahead, although they did mention that last night. They are just not sailing that close to each other these days, at least not like before. The commentators mention forcing the other boat to one side of the course or another, but at separation distances like 100 meters or more, there is plenty of room to maneuver to the better side.

It seems as though whoever has the lead at the start has the win. Perhaps it's just the consistency of the wind in that area. I'm sure there are puffs (witness the Americans capsize), but drastic wind direction changes do not seem so prevalent on this course.

I wish the commentary would show wind direction changes instead of individual crew heartbeats, breathing rate and body temps. I mean, WGAF?

 

[Stinger177]

Post race #5.

Kiwi's totally messed up their start, and once again, whoever has the lead at the start is going to win the race.

I did notice that the TV coverage is tossing in wind direction arrows, but not like the old days of ESPN. You really have to watch the race almost second by second to pick up on it.

Still rooting for the Kiwi's!

And did you guys notice that there's like three of us who even give a krap about this?

 

[Stinger177]

Wow!

Race six was amazing.

What was the difference?.

Inside the box, the Kiwi's made an excellent jibe move and turned it into a nice reach on top of Luna at the start to gain the advantage at the start line, and then what?? They just took off like a rocket.

 

[rsterne]

The Kiwi's sailed a great Race 6, their start was perfect, while Luna Rossa was waayyyyyy late....  .... I don't understand what happened after that.... Did the Italians give up about halfway through?.... The wind was the same light stuff as the last 3 races, but the final margin of nearly 1.5 km. was just sad for them....

Anyone remember when they sailed those 12 Metre dinosaurs for Ye Auld Mug?.... It was always best 4 out of 7.... Guess what.... 

I'd like to see a couple of races in 20+ knots, to see the other end of the spectrum.... What's the call for tomorrow, more light weather?....

BTW, I once knew a "Grand Dame" of the NYYC, by the name of "Sis" Hovey.... She had forgotten more about yacht racing than most of us will ever understand, I always enjoyed talking to her.... In the 1930's she owned a Herreshoff designed 30 Square Meter called "Oriole II"....

https://yotlot.com/a-1930-herreshoff-thirty-square-metre/

For one of her landmark birthdays (90th?) her husband rented a cruise on the "J" Boat Enterprise.... She told me that the steel mast had a hatch in the side for access to an internal ladder to go aloft to work on the rigging....  .... When she and her family showed up at a sailing event they used to say "here comes the covey of Hovey's".... 

Bob

[Novagun]

Yes only three of us. Most of the world doesn't even know where new Zealand is.
I am a bit perturbed by the grand lead that NZ had in the second race. Sure they won the start but not by about 1500 metres. My son says that Te Rehutai was giving them, Luna Rossa, dirty air. My yacht racing experience doesn't show that turbulence lasts at the separation distances those yachts were showing.  Maybe big sails in light air are different.

Anyway my son says he should be on Te Rehutai instead of Josh Junior. You see Josh was at the Worser Bay Yacht club one day and borrowed a Zephyr (11ft. 4 ins cat rigged monohull. Beautiful boat but not easy to sail well. James won the race  beating Josh. He says Josh has never beaten him so he should have his job on Te Rehutai.

[Novagun]

Another light weather day for Waitemata Harbour.  Variable 5 to 10 knot sea breezes this afternoon. Light again on Monday.  Looks like the low south east of nz will move away without giving us breeze.

This is New Zealand, we are in the roaring 40s. Wind is our signature. We need wind to solve this tit for tat contest.

[Novagun]

Bumped into two Italian people while out walking the dog late yesterday. He was wearing a soccer T shirt but we chatted about the cup. They were pretty cagey but we agreed to be friends no matter what the result.
There is a little car, A Micra I think, running around our small suburb flying two Italian flags. Good on them. It is good to spot it now and again.
A lot of people here are not taking much notice of the cup but not so in our family and the yachting community.

[Novagun]

Forecaste for Waitemata Harbour up to and including Thursday. Variable 5 knots and up to 10 knots.