ADVERTISEMENT

It just caught a glimpse of the Americas Cup sailing competition on NBC.....

I was watching it too and wondering about all that shifting of bodies and cranking. I'll leave all that thinking to Buffy and Biff to much thinking for me and far too rich.
 
  • Like
Reactions: vehemon
I used to race catamarans. Those were some fun times!

I used to sail catmarans but never raced. After I buried the lee hull and capsized several miles off the coast of OD beach I sold it and bought a monohull with a fixed keel..ha. Lesson learned for me.
 
I used to sail catmarans but never raced. After I buried the lee hull and capsized several miles off the coast of OD beach I sold it and bought a monohull with a fixed keel..ha. Lesson learned for me.
Sailed and raced Hobie 18, with my brother. Hell of a thrill under right conditions. Buried the hull once in Myrtle Beach while hanging out on the trapeze. Boat pitch-poled. Wild ride!
 
I grew up in Charleston and sailed competitively inshore (harbor) and offshore, small boats to big boats. I was an expert in knowing the Yacht Racing Rules and their use. I watched the same show today and told my wife that anything I previously knew is out the window. About the only thing I understood was that starboard still has the right of way at the starting line. Beyond that, for get it.
 
I grew up in Charleston and sailed competitively inshore (harbor) and offshore, small boats to big boats. I was an expert in knowing the Yacht Racing Rules and their use. I watched the same show today and told my wife that anything I previously knew is out the window. About the only thing I understood was that starboard still has the right of way at the starting line. Beyond that, for get it.

Yes, it's pretty much unrecognizable from what we saw twenty years ago. But as I understand it the winner of the America's Cup sets the rules..ergo, we have these hydrofoils..for better or worse. Many of my more traditional sailing friends decry this development. And it is a bit strange. But it's still raced by boats with sails, on the water. And the races take like what..20 - 25 minutes at most? .. in stead of all afternoon ... it's the modern way and I accept it...
 
That design has been proven to be the fastest, most fuel efficient and least amount of friction so the military has started to use the design. You'll see some of our new battleships where it looks like they're on pontoons. Very fast, very impressive
 
I used to crew a boat (Hinckleys) that competed in the Newport Bermuda races.
If you ever have the chance/interest, check out Newport and you will see priceless Cup yachts dating back over 100 years.
 
Last edited:
Sailed and raced Hobie 18, with my brother. Hell of a thrill under right conditions. Buried the hull once in Myrtle Beach while hanging out on the trapeze. Boat pitch-poled. Wild ride!
I raced a Hobie 18 in high school. Awesome times- and yes pitch-piling while on the trap was one helluva wild wild around the forestay!
 
I used to crew a boat that competed in the Newport Bermuda races.
If you ever have the chance/interest, check out Newport and you will see priceless Cup yachts dating back over 100 years.
Those J-boats were in Bermuda racing lately. They're gorgeous boats.
 
Yes, it's pretty much unrecognizable from what we saw twenty years ago. But as I understand it the winner of the America's Cup sets the rules..ergo, we have these hydrofoils..for better or worse. Many of my more traditional sailing friends decry this development. And it is a bit strange. But it's still raced by boats with sails, on the water. And the races take like what..20 - 25 minutes at most? .. in stead of all afternoon ... it's the modern way and I accept it...
I think there are now international rules governing the America's Cup design. They actually have two designs, the smaller cats I think (still big boats) are used in qualifying for the Louis Vitton and then they switch to the big boats for the main Americas Cup. They've been having series all over the world the last few years- Bermuda, SF, Chicago... etc. I saw a boat have the first "dry race" the other day- never came down off the foils the entire race. Amazing!
 
  • Like
Reactions: danny_dristor
I think there are now international rules governing the America's Cup design. They actually have two designs, the smaller cats I think (still big boats) are used in qualifying for the Louis Vitton and then they switch to the big boats for the main Americas Cup. They've been having series all over the world the last few years- Bermuda, SF, Chicago... etc. I saw a boat have the first "dry race" the other day- never came down off the foils the entire race. Amazing!

Aha..ok..thanks for the clarification on the design rules.
 
Aha..ok..thanks for the clarification on the design rules.
But it used to be messed up. NZ showed up with that super fast monohull, but then Dennis Connor & the US came out with that rediculously silly looking catamaran and it wasn't even close. The J-class were the prettiest to me, but I also liked the 12-meters.
 
  • Like
Reactions: galebreak


That's an excellent video. "It's essentially a very boring sport."
It's like trying to watch golf. You need something to spice it up.
I've always thought tackling would work in golf. Maybe submarines or giant killer whales would add some excitement to this Sailing Cup thing.

PS. Yup. I'm lower class.
 
That's an excellent video. "It's essentially a very boring sport."
It's like trying to watch golf. You need something to spice it up.
I've always thought tackling would work in golf. Maybe submarines or giant killer whales would add some excitement to this Sailing Cup thing.

PS. Yup. I'm lower class.
Sure, it's tough to follow if you've never sailed, especially competitively, but if you have, it's a beautiful sport.
 
That's an excellent video. "It's essentially a very boring sport."
It's like trying to watch golf. You need something to spice it up.
I've always thought tackling would work in golf. Maybe submarines or giant killer whales would add some excitement to this Sailing Cup thing.

PS. Yup. I'm lower class.

I like "Belarus, not so good on the water it seems. Questionable human rights record as well for that country" as well as many other things I shouldn't type.
 
It seemed like before there was more strategy and more sailing knowledge needed before.

I totally agree. Today it is all about technology. In the 12 Meter days, it was about which team had the best sailors. As a lifelong racing sailor, that was the best. But for a spectator event where most have never raced a sailboat, I fully understand the appeal of the current boats.
 
giphy.gif
 
I totally agree. Today it is all about technology. In the 12 Meter days, it was about which team had the best sailors. As a lifelong racing sailor, that was the best. But for a spectator event where most have never raced a sailboat, I fully understand the appeal of the current boats.

In the 12 meter days a mistake could take 10 or 20 or 30 minutes to show up...and a tenth of a knot could make all the difference. These days a mistake can show up in a matter of seconds..come off the foil and you're behind hundreds of meters in an instant..it still comes down to who is the best sailor given the current parameters...
 
  • Like
Reactions: NCGamcockFan2167
In the 12 meter days a mistake could take 10 or 20 or 30 minutes to show up...and a tenth of a knot could make all the difference. These days a mistake can show up in a matter of seconds..come off the foil and you're behind hundreds of meters in an instant..it still comes down to who is the best sailor given the current parameters...
I agree because like everything..it has sped up significantly. I do miss the trimming of the sails facet of the game. Downwind legs were great with a huge spinnaker flying!! That tack at the end of a DW leg could make or break you. Raced Hobie 17's as a younger man and those were always fun.
 
I was watching it too and wondering about all that shifting of bodies and cranking. I'll leave all that thinking to Buffy and Biff to much thinking for me and far too rich.

The shifting of the bodies from one side to the other is pretty obvious but all the cranking is to keep pressure in the hydraulic system used to trim/move the sails
 
That design has been proven to be the fastest, most fuel efficient and least amount of friction so the military has started to use the design. You'll see some of our new battleships where it looks like they're on pontoons. Very fast, very impressive

The USS MISSOURI was last American Battleship commissioned (June 1944). It was originally designed to be an Aircraft Carrier. On March 31, 1992, it also became the last Battleship, in the world, to be decommissioned.

The USS Wisconsin was the last built American Battleship but, commissioned prior to the Missouri.

The USS Kentucky was the last American Battleship to be started but never completed. (The correct term is "laid", as in, the hull was laid)

The USS New Jersey was the last American Battleship to fire it's guns in combat (Viet Nam, 1968)

Five Montana Class Battleships (The Louisiana, being the last) were designed and ordered but never built by the United States. These would have had 12 sixteen inch guns, 60,000 Ton displacement and approx twice the amount of armor as previous Battleships.

In October 2006, the USS IOWA and USS WISCONSIN were the last Battleships stricken (This is the exact word the U.S. Navy uses) from the Naval Registry, thus ending American Battleship designations and history.

American Battleships carried the designation "BB", correctly known as the Hull Number, i.e. The USS Missouri (BB-63), The Wisconsin (BB-64).

Seven of the 10 American Battleships built after 1923 are still in existence. The Indiana, The South Dakota and The Washington were scrapped. (All in 1962)

The HMS VANGUARD was last built Battleship in the world and launched a few weeks after the Missouri.
 
Last edited:
My dad and uncle talked excitedly about this and I had no clue what they were talking about. Must have been a bigger thing back in the day
 
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest posts

ADVERTISEMENT