[Public-List] The New Americas Cup Boats

[George Dinwiddie]

There's a few minutes of video of these boats at 
http://www.wired.com/playbook/2012/10/americas-cup-capsize-video/

  - George

On 10/15/12 1:43 PM, Arthur Chotin wrote:
> Just got back from visiting our oldest son in San Francisco and had the
> opportunity to go out on his J-105 and be one of the spectator boats for
> the Americas Cup trials that were held in San Francisco Bay. Thought
> some might be interested a report.
>
> This is certainly not Wednesday night racing on an A-30! The new
> Americas Cup Trial boats are 45-foot catamarans that have carbon fiber
> mains that they call "wings". All of the boats have the same hulls so
> the premium is basically on tactics and crew coordination, not who can
> build a more streamlined version of the boat.
>
> In addition to the wing, the boats have a job and a gennaker. The mast
> is a little over 70 ft and the boats draw a max of 8.8 ft.
>
> While the Americas Cup races I grew up watching lasted hours and sailed
> on a course spread out for miles, the new race format is like
> short-track skating in the Winter Olympics. The race is over is less
> than 20 minutes and the entire course can be viewed from any vantage
> point on the San Francisco shoreline. Just like in short-track skating,
> it appears as if a mistake would doom you but since it is very possible
> that other boats will make mistakes as well, you're never really out of
> contention.
>
> These boats are basically test boats so the crews can get used to
> sailing on wingsailed multihulls. The boats that will race in the Louis
> Vuitton Challenge and the Americas Cup Finals will be 72-feet long with
> masts that are 131 feet high.
>
> It's not traditional sailing like we are used to; it's fast and over
> quickly. Fun to watch but just not the same thing.
>
> Anyway, thought it might be of interest.
>
> Arthur

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   When I remember bygone days                         George Dinwiddie
   I think how evening follows morn;            gdinwiddie at alberg30.org
   So many I loved were not yet dead,           http://www.Alberg30.org
   So many I love were not yet born.                          also see:
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