I haven't seen it in years but the boats they use now are amazing. They are Hydrofoil catamarans that are traveling over 25 knots. Nothing like I remember from years ago
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I used to race catamarans. Those were some fun times!
Yes. Watched it a couple of weeks ago. Very different!I haven't seen it in years but the boats they use now are amazing. They are Hydrofoil catamarans that are traveling over 25 knots. Nothing like I remember from years ago
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 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 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 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!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!
Those J-boats were in Bermuda racing lately. They're gorgeous boats.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.
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!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!
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.Aha..ok..thanks for the clarification on the design rules.
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.
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.
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.
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.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 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.
Cockofdawn's picture above is all the hydraulic system I need to see....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
you like that, how about this??Cockofdawn's picture above is all the hydraulic system I need to see....
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
..Downwind legs were great with a huge spinnaker flying!! That tack at the end of a DW leg could make or break you.