America’s Cup - NZ

LukeNZ

LukeNZ

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I don’t know if there are any sailing, yachty, techie types out there in our fly fishing world; but if there is, then I am opening up the ‘official’ America’s Cup thread, for comment and critique, as racing is now very imminent.

Personally, I am in awe of the AC75 boats we have in this defence of the cup. They are virtually flying, all but a minuscule foot (and tip of the rudder) in the water.

I am pretty pumped having seen them all at various times practicing in the Hauraki Gulf, Auckland.

The UK is fielding a very technical boat - hopefully they have the seamanship to make it pay off. So many fantastic teams with their own individual strengths; a great armchair event for those in winter..

All of NZ is pretty well set, we all have our red socks at the ready - let the competition begin!


Do you guys get coverage of the racing? If not, I can post the TVNZ weblinks, for the coverage we get, when it all starts.

The ad’s are certainly intensifying here; and, as the UK has a dog in the fight, skin in the game, a team here and ready to go - are you getting any media output around this?
 
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Reg Wyatt

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Very exciting Luke. Many, many years ago I sailed in an old twelve metre yacht called 'Constellation' as a training exercise for the British challenger 'Lionheart.' At the time all the boats were twelve metre yachts - really beautiful but cart horses compared to the latest 'yachts.' Remember seeing the first of these flying hydrofoil machines in the Solent and they were cartoon like fast. Amazing technology involved and incredible speed. 'Yacht' racing for billionaires.
The Americans and UK will be competitive but not sure they'll trouble the Kiwis? Maybe? I shall be glued to the tv hoping.

Reg Wyatt
 
hutch6

hutch6

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It’s not something that gets a lot I’ve coverage Luke. Too much football to cover. Can’t even get coverage of test match if football is on let alone sailing.

Unless you dig about yourself you’re not going to be told about it. Guaranteed to be a 20sec mention at the end - “And in other news....”

Post the links up. Bugger all worth watching on tv over here anyway and I’m always in awe of watching folk who are at the top of their game no matter what it is, apart from football, that can go suck itself.

The model of boat you mentioned, is that the hydrofoil ones? I’ll have to look up the rules etc but the engineering if such crafts is amazing.

Surprised it’s not been banned but it’s early days and hopefully the lack of coverage will prevent such a thing.
 
LukeNZ

LukeNZ

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hutch6 said:
It’s not something that gets a lot I’ve coverage Luke. Too much football to cover. Can’t even get coverage of test match if football is on let alone sailing.

Unless you dig about yourself you’re not going to be told about it. Guaranteed to be a 20sec mention at the end - “And in other news....”

Post the links up. Bugger all worth watching on tv over here anyway and I’m always in awe of watching folk who are at the top of their game no matter what it is, apart from football, that can go suck itself.

The model of boat you mentioned, is that the hydrofoil ones? I’ll have to look up the rules etc but the engineering if such crafts is amazing.

Surprised it’s not been banned but it’s early days and hopefully the lack of coverage will prevent such a thing.
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Yes they are on foils, but they lift the windward one out. You will see the Kiwi boat hit 100km/hr. Timed it several times past 2 points off Rangitoto Island, when I was coming back from Waiheke (on the ferry) a couple of weeks ago. Shiit it was going!

Quite interesting that they say on the TV here that they can reach almost 90km/hr. 😎
 
LukeNZ

LukeNZ

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Reg Wyatt said:
Very exciting Luke. Many, many years ago I sailed in an old twelve metre yacht called 'Constellation' as a training exercise for the British challenger 'Lionheart.' At the time all the boats were twelve metre yachts - really beautiful but cart horses compared to the latest 'yachts.' Remember seeing the first of these flying hydrofoil machines in the Solent and they were cartoon like fast. Amazing technology involved and incredible speed. 'Yacht' racing for billionaires.
The Americans and UK will be competitive but not sure they'll trouble the Kiwis? Maybe? I shall be glued to the tv hoping.

Reg Wyatt
Click to expand...

With your background I can see that this is definitely going to be up your alley, for sure!

The challenger series will sort out who else can race with the challenger, against the kiwis (the holders), it gets the challenger/s up to speed. Before the main event!

I think the World Series starts here on Dec.17 th. - 20th. All teams will take part in that - it will be an indicator for each team of where they are at - the first official square off.

Over the last 2 weeks there have been unofficial running alongside square offs - apparently NZ’s no.2 boat Rehutai is seen as wickedly fast, by all that have encountered it.

The no.1 boat hasn’t been out much, but all the boats will increase speeds and handling through ongoing (incredibly expensive) development as the racing gets towards the actual America’s Cup races.
 
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Reg Wyatt

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Probably about 1979/80 that I sailed on Constellation and even that was an old boat by then. The challenger, Lionheart, was an up to date version incorporating some technical 'marvels' some of which had to be cloaked and shielded from cameras when lifted from the water! I think a winged keel was one and an alarmingly aft leaning mast which was moveable! Believe it or not, we had to sign a secrecy statement that we wouldn't tell! I nearly sailed on what was called the Whitbread around the world race. The 'tobacco' boats, Rothmans, Winston and Fortuna (is that tobacco?) dominated until a little known Kiwi called Peter Blake turned up with something called ENZA and blew the competition away. Wonderful and exciting times in the yacht racing world but a zillion miles away from these modern day formula one machines. What would the likes of Sir Thomas Lipton etc have made of these hydrofoil rockets? Bet they would have loved them!

Reg Wyatt
 
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champyron

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Luke, please post whatever links you have. As a sailor I have been trying to follow the build up and tentative practice races/starts on youtube. They are just on the water shots. I am trying to find coverage similar to 4 years ago when a birds eye view of each race was shown with an overlay of wind directions, course boundaries, lay lines etc. It was gripping viewing for anyone with a racing background. There has been mention in the press here that BBC may do limited coverage but I can't find the info and suspect that will only be of the Americas Cup itself and not the PRADA series which starts on 17th Dec.
I have just watched the press conference and Ben Ainsley admitted that we have lot of work to do to improve our lighter air performance. NZ are looking like pretty slick favourites.....at the moment.
 
LukeNZ

LukeNZ

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champyron said:
Luke, please post whatever links you have. As a sailor I have been trying to follow the build up and tentative practice races/starts on youtube. They are just on the water shots. I am trying to find coverage similar to 4 years ago when a birds eye view of each race was shown with an overlay of wind directions, course boundaries, lay lines etc. It was gripping viewing for anyone with a racing background. There has been mention in the press here that BBC may do limited coverage but I can't find the info and suspect that will only be of the Americas Cup itself and not the PRADA series which starts on 17th Dec.
I have just watched the press conference and Ben Ainsley admitted that we have lot of work to do to improve our lighter air performance. NZ are looking like pretty slick favourites.....at the moment.
Click to expand...
Will do. It is going free to air on NZ channels, so you might want to download the TVNZ free to air apps.
will do some research on it after work tonight and find out which ones might work for you over there.
 
green man

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Sign me up. I used to keep a boat in the Menai Strait and windsurfed for most of my life, having been an RYA instructor. Did a bit of speed sailing (windsurfing), getting to within 5 kts of the then world record. I'm looking to buy a small boat next year to keep at Chichester Yacht Club.

I take my hat off to all who compete and do their best, but I feel with the Brits, it's a bit like Alex Thomson in the Vendee, something always seems to go wrong.
.
 
LukeNZ

LukeNZ

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green man said:
Sign me up. I used to keep a boat in the Menai Strait and windsurfed for most of my life, having been an RYA instructor. Did a bit of speed sailing (windsurfing), getting to within 5 kts of the then world record. I'm looking to buy a small boat next year to keep at Chichester Yacht Club.

I take my hat off to all who compete and do their best, but I feel with the Brits, it's a bit like Alex Thomson in the Vendee, something always seems to go wrong.
.
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Without giving anything away, I think it will come down to lead and lag relative to the tech related to control of the gyro's - which I am assuming is what is controling foiling attitude - too slow and the pointy end goes up, or under and may be the limiting factor in how quickly the boats will be able to go. The faster they go the greater the risk...as the faster the gyros need to correct..
I have no idea what controls they have for stability at each angle of wind and plane, relative to steerage, and speed.
I am just trying to imagine how it could be done.
Saw last night that the NZ CAA has banned drone flying anywhere near the boat yards and courses - I suspect that has laid waste to 10's of thousand of dollars of each teams intelligence strategies...🙃
 
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champyron

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I get BT sport( for the rugby) but no coverage on there. It seems to be covered on Sky Sports Mix between 2am and 5am uk but that is subscription although it is possible to get a NOW tv monthly pass for £25, then cancel before automatic renewal. Getting up for 2am viewing does not appeal and I am not sure if I paid whether I would be able to record it.
I have tried to access NZTV but it is apparently not available in the UK unless you use a VPN to disguise the uk origin. I have tried to use "Unlocator VPN" but without success.
At present I think I will wait to see what the coverage is like on Youtube. If anyone in the UK succeeds with free viewing I would be interested.
 
green man

green man

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LukeNZ said:
Without giving anything away, I think it will come down to lead and lag relative to the tech related to control of the gyro's...
Click to expand...

I was in the maritime museum in Sydney a few years ago, where they house Australia II (unless Perth has demanded it's return) and it struck me that it came from a different, more romantic, age. It looked like a boat that I could sail.

I guess it's like F1 motor racing. To me, boats of yesteryear look so much more beautiful. But then, I was born too late and way too poor for William Fife!

Not that I don't marvel at today's racing yachts and love watching, but I couldn't get all misty-eyed over one.

I'll get my pipe and slippers! :giggle:
.
 
Dingbat

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green man said:
Sign me up. I used to keep a boat in the Menai Strait and windsurfed for most of my life, having been an RYA instructor. Did a bit of speed sailing (windsurfing), getting to within 5 kts of the then world record. I'm looking to buy a small boat next year to keep at Chichester Yacht Club.

I take my hat off to all who compete and do their best, but I feel with the Brits, it's a bit like Alex Thomson in the Vendee, something always seems to go wrong.
.
Click to expand...

Whats your opinion of the RYA yachting course and certification structure?
 
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