AC36: The Match (6-15th March. Reserve days to the 21st)

[Forourselves]

Ummm what? I think this time last cycle we had more challengers lining up and S&S didn't exactly turn out to be the best of the best did they?

I'd like to see Artemis return with NO at the helm and maybe SoftBank with Draper.

We did. But they weren’t the caliber that have signalled their interest now. We all thought they might be, could or should be, but LR proved to be far too strong for them. AS I always said, AM looked good by themselves but would be shown up by the experienced teams, and that proved to be true. INEOS will be strong as CoR, as long as they maintain a mutually beneficial relationship with ETNZ, LR will again be tough to beat (if they return) which it sounds like they might, Alinghi are strong fullstop, Stars + Stripes, who knows, they’ve had a whole cycle to get their shit together, and if the CSS is held in the UK, it might make it a little more appealing for the US audience/ sponsors, but there is some talented guys in that team. Spithill is going to the US SailGP team now so he might even come back with them. 

 

[strider470]

"Always" is a long time - PB, BT and GA all have lots of miles ahead.....

Maybe always is exaggerated, but you know what I mean. He was great not only as a sailor. I was very displeased when he left NZ for Alinghi, and I stopped rooting for him.

 

[chocoa]

Most important: We now have an established Boat Class (8 AC75's), 4 of them could be sold to Start-Up Teams so they can learn how to sail them.

Which team AM, ENTZ. LRP, INEOS is going to sell their first AC75 to ernesto bertarelli?

 

[jaysper]

You just backed up my point.

Dammit! I wan't trying to! :lol:

 

[Couch Bike Dude]

You mean google translate doesn't do that for you?

Strange, it seems to work just fine when I look at the posts written in italian.  :huh:

It's not translation, rather North American vernacular.

 

[jaysper]

It's not translation, rather North American vernacular.

I know! I was teasing!

 

[WakaNZ]

I was just about to post that, thanks 45Roller. No I wasn't out that day, but the video gives a great  idea of what it's like. Slightly wetter and rockier on the TV Cats mind you!

I have been lucky enough to meet some of the photographers, all seem like nice people and boy do they work hard. So many images to sort, process, caption and upload.

The video shows Gilles (Kiwi cap and Les Voiles de St Tropez shirt) and Carlo Borlenghi (right at the end) who are of course internationally known, Stefano Gattini (on laptop right at the end), who works for Carlo, Chris Cameron (ex-ETNZ and now freelance) and Fiona Goodall from Getty Images. I didn't see RG in the video but he will have been there somewhere.

That's Andy Tuke driving the boat (Photo 1 - there are two Photo boats). And you also see the lovely Andjelka from the Prada Media Centre.

These guys are the real pro's.

Amazing to watch your talent grow @weta27. What is next for you, will you head down to Sail GP or perhaps offer your services to a team here in Auckland for reconnaissance?

 

[Chapter Four]

Which team AM, ENTZ. LRP, INEOS is going to sell their first AC75 to ernesto bertarelli?

The question is, who would want to buy Defiant or Rita 1 ? They would have to be desparate.

Te Aihe or LRPP1 would have to be the pick of the 1st gen boats, by a long way.

 

[mauriciogfj]

I have lens envy.

Envy the eye behind the lens.
Envy not the tool, but the craftsman instead.

 

[shanghaisailor]

Listen to the onboard audio, JS wanted "wide right" when they entered and FB agreed, well, LR did not get what they wanted, but TR got what they wanted, end of story.

Fish, there are clearly a lot of Jimmy Spithill super fans on the site from the Ed down, deaf ones at that or perhaps they don't understand match race starts and what it actually means to "win the start".

As a preamble, it was quite clear both sides wanted the right of the course after the start so whoever got there first "won".

1 minute before the start ETNZ chased LRPP down (sold them a dummy) - you can clearly see the LR team looking back at TR to see what they are doing. Once LR were committed (trapped by the boundary) to the round down TR immediately reversed their helm - I a guessing but they had no intention of following them through a gybe - before a hard round up and tack  introducing a gap between the teams.

TR speed was a real advantage as they could quickly get to the relative position on LR and also enabled them to control the distance between them and LR - notice a couple of course alterations (wiggles) to fine tune the gap

At 1 second t start TR were about half a boat length astern and .75 boat length to windward of LR's track and 1.7kts faster.

For those who haven't match raced speed off the line is vital.

At the start, as in 0.00 seconds to go TR tacks towards the side of the course both teams wanted. TR had prevented LR tacking by their position and had LR followed them they would have been in their bad air.

The definition of a good start must be the position it puts you as you go up the race course

1st tack TR ahead

1st cross - meeting - not a cross TR slams right on top of LR forcing them back t the unfavoured side

2nd cross LR have to dip. The top part of the course is left favoured and TR build a 100m plus lead.

ETNZ were extraordinarily lucky that by losing the start they healthily won the race to the top mark OR before dock out they sat down with their weather team an analysed the likely 'wind shape' on the course and then sailed to the plan.

I've seen this sort of strategizing before. Before DFRT left Gothenburg for the last leg of the VOR to Den Haag, Charles, Pascal and Marcel looked at the likely weather on the course and the Danish coast was selected before they even cast off their lines. Many of you will have seen the video of those last few miles. Trust me, it was even more dramatic from the team RIB.

Ironically it was once again the last race that was the important one there also, almost like a 3 way match race.

Both races showed very clearly the importance of a good overall strategy.

Have at it, I'm all for a good discussion.

The question is, who would want to buy Defiant or Rita 1 ? They would have to be desperate.

Te Aihe or LRPP1 would have to be the pick of the 1st gen boats, by a long way.

The importance isn't the actual performance of the boat. 3 years is not a lot of time (typical cup cycle) and having a boat that can a) be used as a benchmark and more importantly b) can be used as a practice platform in much the same way as INEOS and American Magic got their 'miniatures' on the water as early as possible.

It wouldn't be the first time a syndicate boat an older generation boat, after 1980 Peter de Savary bought Alan Bond's old boat for the same reason and ended up as a finalist in 1983 against the boat that changed America's Cup history 

 

[Couch Bike Dude]

I know! I was teasing!

Of course, just trying to help Strider's English teacher.

 

[weta27]

What is next for you, will you head down to Sail GP or perhaps offer your services to a team here in Auckland for reconnaissance?

Thanks Waka. I'm retired and a bit old to be launching into any serious stuff.

I have some other time-consuming interests, so will just pack the camera away for the meantime and wait for the next AC boat to sail past North Head ...   

 

[See Level]

Thanks Waka. I'm retired and a bit old to be launching into any serious stuff.

I have some other time-consuming interests, so will just pack the camera away for the meantime and wait for the next AC boat to sail past North Head ...   

Thanks weta, enjoyed the great shots.

 

[Sailbydate]

The question is, who would want to buy Defiant or Rita 1 ? They would have to be desparate.

Te Aihe or LRPP1 would have to be the pick of the 1st gen boats, by a long way.

Te Kahu would be worth getting hold of too.

 

[jaysper]

Te Kahu would be worth getting hold of too.

Te Kahu would only be worthwhile if it comes with the foils.

The hull is nothing special and the rig is probably extraordinarily basic given how small it is cos they wouldn't be able to fit all the doo dads into such a small rig.

 

[Chapter Four]

The importance isn't the actual performance of the boat. 3 years is not a lot of time (typical cup cycle) and having a boat that can a) be used as a benchmark and more importantly b) can be used as a practice platform in much the same way as INEOS and American Magic got their 'miniatures' on the water as early as possible.

It wouldn't be the first time a syndicate boat an older generation boat, after 1980 Peter de Savary bought Alan Bond's old boat for the same reason and ended up as a finalist in 1983 against the boat that changed America's Cup history 

I agree to a point,there is a lot of merit in buying an old boat to start a campaign.

But I think those 2 boats are so far off the pace, they wouldn't give you a good enough head start to warrant buying them.

Using them as starting points, you would be unlikely to get to Te Rehutai or LRPP2 type performance, so your second boat is at most only going to be competitive with the 2 that just played out AC36, and you'd need to build a third to be competitive in AC37.

 

[Barnyb]

 

[Sailbydate]

Te Kahu would only be worthwhile if it comes with the foils.

The hull is nothing special and the rig is probably extraordinarily basic given how small it is cos they wouldn't be able to fit all the doo dads into such a small rig.

How would a new AC team learn to sail an AC mono foiler without an AC75, or a test boat like Te Kahu or the Mule.

And, of course you'd expect a set of foils. There are plenty available. Not the Cup winning version though.

 

[Forourselves]

I agree to a point,there is a lot of merit in buying an old boat to start a campaign.

But I think those 2 boats are so far off the pace, they wouldn't give you a good enough head start to warrant buying them.

Using them as starting points, you would be unlikely to get to Te Rehutai or LRPP2 type performance, so your second boat is at most only going to be competitive with the 2 that just played out AC36, and you'd need to build a third to be competitive in AC37.

I'm thinking there'll be a few teams purchasing generic design packages, just to get started. 

 

[marlowe]

Thanks Waka. I'm retired and a bit old to be launching into any serious stuff.

I have some other time-consuming interests, so will just pack the camera away for the meantime and wait for the next AC boat to sail past North Head ...   

Thanks weta for all the great pics you share here. They're much appreciated, especially in the long lead up to the Cup, keeping us informed and building the anticipation. I'm sure it won't be long before the next AC boat passes North Head.

And if we didn't have your pics where would we put our yellow lines?!!