Americas Cup coming to NYC

shemandr · Apr 28, 2016

I was going to go but local interest of my friends here is waning. I guess they have their boats to play with now. I registered with the hosting authorities and was contacted re tickets for viewing from the suite with hospitalities. I won't be doing that. A little north of $600. There is free viewing along the waterfront. Basically the Battery City Esplanade. Dirty Water hot dogs for far less than $600. I understand from someone else that the Circle Line is running a boat for viewing. I think that was less than $200. There was also a charter company running a boat from Atlantic Highlands which seemed reasonable. But getting there for me is too much of a hassle. While I'd like to see the boats race, if I were going to make the trip, I would try to go over to Liberty Landing Marina afterwards to see if I could get an up close look at the wings.

uncledom · Apr 28, 2016

Liberty Landing has been booked solid for some time now. I was able to get a slip at Liberty Harbor right across the way and should be floating around on the south end of the course.

sailnoproblem · Apr 28, 2016

Its a shame that all those beautiful Yachts have to sit in the filth of the Hudson.

uncledom · Apr 28, 2016

I heard they had them slated to stay at Liberty Landing and they realised they're so wide that they are going to anchor them behind the Statue of Liberty.

RussC · Apr 28, 2016

I look forward to watching the race. thanks for the heads up.
But… does it bother anyone else that they have gone away from "traditional" boats in favor of the foil boats for the Americas Cup? I do enjoy seeing the technology, but it's kinda like having Formula 1 cars take over Nascar racing.

PotomacDaysailer · Apr 28, 2016

RussC said:
I look forward to watching the race. thanks for the heads up.
But… does it bother anyone else that they have gone away from "traditional" boats in favor of the foil boats for the Americas Cup? I do enjoy seeing the technology, but it's kinda like having Formula 1 cars take over Nascar racing.

It does me. I remember staying up all night in '87 watching the races live from Perth, but after the legal challenges and the move to the extreme multi-hulls it feels to me like it has become more of a technology/money-raising/legal competition than sailing. Then again it was even more of a rich man's sport in the J-boat era, and some of the designs were as extreme and un-seaworthy as these, which gave the NYYC an advantage since the challengers had to sail across... But anyway, to me the 12-meter era was the high-water mark for the Cup. Those were some "intrepid" and "courageous" sailors in some very "weatherly" boats!

Benny17441 · Apr 28, 2016

I seen them boats race in SF, their speed was impressive but the races were dull, dull, dull. I would not pay to see them again. I thought they were going back to mono hulls for the coming race.

agprice22 · Apr 28, 2016

Although I love the traditional monohulls, I like that the premier showcase features the cutting edge of sailing technology. I want to see racers push the envelope. I want to see the best sailors sail the best possible boats. I want to see them pushed to the limits of expertise and learning.
The monohulls are majestic. I will never stop loving them. But I want the F1 stars and their cars, even if occasionally we get a radical mismatch... Australia wing keel V Stars... Stars catamaran V Kiwis super maxi....
Brilliant stuff. I love it when design evolves the sport.

Benny17441 · Apr 28, 2016

The big foil boats look like a different sport that's trying to develop, there is no comparison with the traditional sailing sport that has developed over the last 150 years. They might be top notch sailors but they look like they are just learning how to handle those boats, there are very little tactics beside do not make too many mistakes. There will likely be a split between a traveling stadium circuit races and the traditional offshore competitions. It is just sad the Americas Cup was allowed to be used as a springboard for a new X-treme sport.

Scott T-Bird · Apr 29, 2016

I would think that if the racing is in the harbor near the Statue of Liberty, the best viewing from land would be at Liberty State Park. Although viewing from a sky scraper would provide a birds eye view.

woodster · Apr 29, 2016

Benny17441 said:
It is just sad the Americas Cup was allowed to be used as a springboard for a new X-treme sport.

it should have been a sport all its own ...the fact that it's billed as the America's Cup is misleading and in no way likened to conventional sailing ...it's like going from prop aircraft to jets...or tortoise and the hair....although i do like the technology and impressed with the progressive/aggressive engineering it should be billed as .."X" America's Cup

Scott T-Bird · Apr 29, 2016

The web page does a very poor job at describing the action and the course. They simply say "between the Pier 25 Basin to Battery Park. Check out this sail-nyc website to see the actual course. http://www.sail-nyc.com/americas-cup-and-classic-harbor-line/
From the Jersey side, I will amend my thinking. Liberty State Park is maybe too far away. In Jersey City, it looks like the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway at the Hyatt Regency pier is the closest location to the leeward gate. There is also a very nice little pier at J. Owen Grundy Park (I've had lunch there a few times). Grundy Park is the reverse "L" shaped pier just opposite the leeward gate. The walkway all along the river front (even at the Hyatt Regency) is public space and right on the river. It looks like a prime location for watching the leeward gate.
The schedule calls for 3 races from 2 pm to 3;30. That's 3 races in an hour and a half. How is that feasible? Each race must take 20 to 40 minutes, no? How do they manage starts in so little time? Does each team just race in one race per day and there are 3 heats with separate teams? That's the only way that makes sense to me. Here is hoping for some wind ... not like yesterday when the river was glassy all afternoon!
If Sue and I can find time to go, we will watch from Jersey City.

woodster · Apr 29, 2016

Scott is that where the Richmond yacht club was/is close to pavonia (spelling )subway station right below Jersey city shopping mall...by the Holland tunnel exit on the jersey side

BlowMeAway · Apr 29, 2016

Only wish I could be there in NYC for the spectacle. I love the technology and speed that's generated by these foiled cats. It's impressive to see how fast the winds can fly these boats. I owned a Hobie 16 back in 1984, sailing on Canyon Lake near New Braunsfels, TX, and trimmed it (one time) sufficiently to have my girlfriend layout in the main with feet on the boom with one toon outta the water. It was the indestructible self confidence I had in those days, as well as the brave girl whose name I can't even remember. These days, I just appreciate the courageous sailors that wanna do that type of sailing on a monstrous cat. I've since converted to Monohulls, and become fidgety at anything more than 25-30 deg of heel. Attached is a video of some awful (yet very entertaining) highlights from 34th AC, 2013.

Scott T-Bird · Apr 29, 2016

I'm not familiar with Richmond YC but it seems there is one on Staten Island. Pavonia station is in the area called Newport, which is just a little north of the area on the map that shows the leeward gate. The area that is closest to the course is Paulus Hook. The old Morris Canal and Liberty marinas are in that wider canal between Paulus Hook and Liberty State Park (the area at the bottom of the map that says "FERRY TERMINAL". Watching from the LSP is closer to the start, but looking a long way across the river. There is no elevation, so it would be difficult to get any perspective. I'm thinking that watching from a roof on a skyscraper in Paulus Hook might be a good option ... and I have a connection that I will have to explore.

woodster · Apr 29, 2016

Scott T-Bird said:
I'm not familiar with Richmond YC but it seems there is one on Staten Island. Pavonia station is in the area called Newport, which is just a little north of the area on the map that shows the leeward gate. The area that is closest to the course is Paulus Hook. The old Morris Canal and Liberty marinas are in that wider canal between Paulus Hook and Liberty State Park (the area at the bottom of the map that says "FERRY TERMINAL". Watching from the LSP is closer to the start, but looking a long way across the river. There is no elevation, so it would be difficult to get any perspective. I'm thinking that watching from a roof on a skyscraper in Paulus Hook might be a good option ... and I have a connection that I will have to explore.

yes Newport it was...... been about 26 years sense i was there used to be a yacht club down there but it may be gone now was a small place the best i remember ...i like the sky scraper idea a lot ...i watched the cards play in st Louis from top of the bell building..... 45 stories...... back in 85 while working on the building had a great view from up there..... could see inside the whole stadium

dlewis812 · May 2, 2016

hopefully watching from our apartment building roof deck in battery park city (42nd floor) - should be pretty cool view! until this year kept my boat at pier 25 moorings. assume they're either booked or charging a crazy amount however if anyone coming by boat may want to check that out.