America's Cup

They’re only pretending to compete but it’s a big sham so they can create a spectacle? Like wrestling? I don’t know about dat.

Well, no. More like watching those boats at speed is a spectacular sight, as in awesome.

2 Likes

I thought you might have been ignoring the amount of R&D that goes into these cutting edge machines as well as the athletic level of training and preparation the participants go through. Sure, it’s a spectacle but ultimately I see it as an exciting contest of speed requiring lightning quick thinking and reactions. Maybe I’m easily impressed.

americascup.com.

1 Like

I enjoyed your post. You sound very knowledgeable about automated control systems. The video showed a situation where the mainsail could not be “dumped” by letting go the mainsheet because the leeward running backstay had not been removed. Dumping the mainsail would have immediately reduced the capsize moment and might have allowed the boat to regain vertical. Could it be that the accident was due to (or made more serious) by this failure?

1 Like

The question of the running backstay has been discussed on the SA forums but not resolved as far as I know. They appear to be required by rule. The question which I haven’t seen an answer to is whether the controls for the double-skinned main actually allow the sail to be sheeted out sufficiently to prevent the capsize.

Cheers,

Earl

1 Like

Can’t really dump the vang on a wing sail (from what I know of them at least) but on a traditional main sail, the sheet and the vang let go at the same time would have de-powered that sail in a hurry.

The double-skinned design was supposed to combine the advantages of a wing and a conventional sail. Perhaps the incident showed the situation to be “not exactly.”

Cheers,

Earl

The Vendee is already heading towards foiling. Just have a look at Alex Thomson.