red haired step child

[Editor]

Yes, we know it is just the first race in a long series, but at this rate The LVC is going to be excruciatingly long. Seemingly laying down from the start, Luna Rosa was beat like the red haired step child they are to the Kiwis, finishing over 5 minutes behind - therefore making it not a match at all. Luna Rosa went out without a fight, making us wonder what all the fuss was about.

Certainly if you listened to the two cheerleaders announcing the race it was nothing but "fantastic stuff", as they peed all over themselves about the fact that two - two! - AC 72's managed to make it around the course without an incident. But the only thing fantastic thing was the nearly effortless beating administered by ETNZ. Head cheerleader Tucker Thompson signed off by saying "What a race it was" and we have to wonder what in the hell he was watching. After getting over the size and speed of the 72's, the race itself was one of the least interesting imaginable.

Let's hope this isn't a sign of things to come. If it is, one will have to congratulate the AC for creating an event that magically turns these speed machines turn into a bore fest. Surely, there is more...

 

[theParadoxOfThrift]

The speed difference between the boats was not as significant as the boat handling. ETNZ gained on every gybe, tack and rounding.

OR said they were in a different phase of their testing and that they will start working on their handling between now and the cup. They will need to get a bustle on to match that crew work.

The boats are spectacular. The venue is great. The TV coverage is great but we need on-board video and sound and less chatter from the commentators.

It will be dull for a while if you're not a kiwi fan.

The racing starts at 0500 for me - so not really time to crack open a cold beer and watch.

Off to the boat now - go do some yachting of my own.

 

[Sailbydate]

Very poor showing indeed by LR.

Might as well have been another 1-boat 'race' as far as that goes.

Hopefully, the Italians can do a lot better, otherwise ETNZ could be turning up at the event in September, well under prepared.

 

[WetHog]

ETNZ slapped the nipples off them.

WetHog h34r:

 

[davkt]

And here I was thinking things would get better if there was more than one boat on the course at the same time, would seem not!

 

[Nutta]

The speed difference between the boats was not as significant as the boat handling. ETNZ gained on every gybe, tack and rounding.

OR said they were in a different phase of their testing and that they will start working on their handling between now and the cup. They will need to get a bustle on to match that crew work.

The boats are spectacular. The venue is great. The TV coverage is great but we need on-board video and sound and less chatter from the commentators.

Yes, watching virtual eye along with coverage the LR boat was often getting quite good speed up, then dropping off. We didn't see on the coverage but I'd guess they were dropping off the foils a little more?

OR will need to be pretty polished, but they do have time up their sleeves.

Agree that more coverage off the boats would drag this up from total boredom to slight tedium...

ETNZ slapped the nipples off them.

WetHog h34r:

.
My first laugh of Sunday morning... Thank you!

 

[oceaneer]

I loved the explanation of the wing sail.. WFT,, Do they know what they are taling about.

Or the penalty explanation again.. I was lost.

Do we get better commentators at some point, I hope so as these 2 are not good.

Oceaneer

 

[Spargo]

What was the penalty and how did LR undertake it?

 

[eric e]

LR clipped a boundary and got a 2 boat length penalty

but as etnz were ahead by about a km at that stage i think they umpires just erased the penalty when it appeared that LR were not powering out of the gybe? as quickly as they could have

but the killer for LR was the pre-start, the 15sec late that DB pinned on them seems to have cost them the point

AR should at once celebrate and despair

 

[NZW]

Boats are incredible.

But once race underway and novelty of the huge speed numbers wore off, I got adjusted to time/distances being different - took about 1 leg each way - wasn't so very different to the monohull ACs for me.

 

[moulet]

.........................so under the new AC rules boats must finish within 5 minutes of each other (as per our 2 commentators) , does this mean we have just witnessed the 4th straight one boat race?

 

[Sailbydate]

LR clipped a boundary and got a 2 boat length penalty

but as etnz were ahead by about a km at that stage i think they umpires just erased the penalty when it appeared that LR were not powering out of the gybe? as quickly as they could have

but the killer for LR was the pre-start, the 15sec late that DB pinned on them seems to have cost them the point

AR should at once celebrate and despair

Yeah. Great start by DB, but honestly, even if LR had won that start, I'd doubt seriously they'd have stayed in front. A couple of out-of-phase flybys would have seen ETNZ ahead.

 

[wkd928]

Makes me wonder what exactly AR hope to achieve by launching there boat? Won't PCs ego only end up more battered after they get there asses kicked worse than this - if there boat holds together. There is no way they can possibly compete on crew work without time on the water.

 

[jaysper]

LR clipped a boundary and got a 2 boat length penalty

but as etnz were ahead by about a km at that stage i think they umpires just erased the penalty when it appeared that LR were not powering out of the gybe? as quickly as they could have

but the killer for LR was the pre-start, the 15sec late that DB pinned on them seems to have cost them the point

AR should at once celebrate and despair

The start had no bearing on the outcome. ETNZ could have lost the start and just sailed around them.

The only difference would have been that if LR had won the start, the might have actually finished.

 

[jaysper]

Makes me wonder what exactly AR hope to achieve by launching there boat? Won't PCs ego only end up more battered after they get there asses kicked worse than this - if there boat holds together. There is no way they can possibly compete on crew work without time on the water.

Well, AR won't need to face ETNZ so maybe they can keep their losses to 5 minutes or so?

Certainly against ETNZ the difference would have to be 10 minutes+

 

[Living_in_a_box]

Comment of the race for me - "Yes... The foils work like a water ski"

See! All the $$$ spent could have been saved. Just stick a fuckin water ski on it, and let's get racing...

 

[weightless]

The speed difference between the boats was not as significant as the boat handling. ETNZ gained on every gybe, tack and rounding.

It looked to me like the VMG differences were very significant. Of course, ETNZ also gained on all the maneuvers. I'm still enjoying watching the boats and admiring the skill, but competition it ain't.

 

[~Stingray~~]

All the talk about the importance of being able to flybe well adds to the argument that, overall, you need to be able to do everything well because just one or two weaknesses will be killers.

With ETNZ performing almost everything flawlessly the bar is set very, very high. LR has a long way to go but may have time close the gap; the bar probably can't go too much higher.

 

[eric e]

LR clipped a boundary and got a 2 boat length penalty

but as etnz were ahead by about a km at that stage i think they umpires just erased the penalty when it appeared that LR were not powering out of the gybe? as quickly as they could have

but the killer for LR was the pre-start, the 15sec late that DB pinned on them seems to have cost them the point

AR should at once celebrate and despair

Yeah. Great start by DB, but honestly, even if LR had won that start, I'd doubt seriously they'd have stayed in front. A couple of out-of-phase flybys would have seen ETNZ ahead.

agree

LR never would have won

but they would have gotten a point

if murry jones was leading forward in his chair the other day to watch the heli-shot of the etnz flybe

i guess the team will be carefully reviewing each of the many flybes seen in this race

is etnz going for a shock and awe campaign?

should they have left a little in the tank?

will JS focus even more intently now on trying to pin something on DB in the start box?

will he be the first to stall an ac72 trying to do so?

all these questions will be answered this fall...