AC Races
- Thread starter jibes138
- Start date
They certainly are amazing. A different sport really. What's funny is that the grinders are just juicing up the hydraulics - nothing to do with sail trim. (Oh, that's right, it's not a sail, it's a wing.) Still, fun to watch.
It's pretty cool.... but I miss watching the crew work and the tactics unfolding. Everything happens so fast I don't think the announcers have any idea what's going on tactically. One boat gets a lead.....next camera shot the other boat is in the lead.... because they caught a lift.... but you can' really see it, or watch it, it just happens. They should incorporate wind direction data in their graphics.... show how he lifts and knocks develop and are recognized... etc.
I miss the tacking duels in match racing and the spinnaker work. The crew communication. The afterguard strategizing. None of that here.... pretty much the driver is doing everything.... and we have no idea what that is.
That said I do enjoy viewing it..... although it is so far removed from what we do as sailors I don't think there's much to learn. It's more for non sailors or the Red Bull/Xgames crowd....
I miss the tacking duels in match racing and the spinnaker work. The crew communication. The afterguard strategizing. None of that here.... pretty much the driver is doing everything.... and we have no idea what that is.
That said I do enjoy viewing it..... although it is so far removed from what we do as sailors I don't think there's much to learn. It's more for non sailors or the Red Bull/Xgames crowd....
Yes, what Joe said. The coverage should have wind direction data. Looks like the Kiwi decision to turn their grinders into cyclists was a brilliant innovation. They are tacking and gybing really well. Anyone see a single Japanese sailor on Team SoftBank?
In case you missed this collision between GBR and JPN. Pretty scary stuff, and glad both crews avoided serious injury. Lots of fun watching these fast cats fly.
There is no nationality in this series.... although publicity sells it as such.... with the flags etc. This is a battle of corporate sponsors....syndicates, if you will. Most of the skippers are Aussie or Kiwi as are most of the crew.
The national identity is tied to the syndicate sponsor.... and the sailing venue is the choice of the defender... all the crew are professionals.... they'll get a gig wherever they can.
Up to 50 knots! What's amazing is that they go 3-4x wind speed. Downwind, their apparent wind goes negative so they "tack"!
Bernoulli's principle is action.
-Alastair.
Bernoulli's principle is action.
-Alastair.