America's Cup 2013

[Hugh Jarse]

As well as the Team NZ feeling pretty miserable, I wouldn't want to be former Team Oracle Tactician John Kostecky's dog ATM.

 

[aeneas]

As well as the Team NZ feeling pretty miserable, I wouldn't want to be former Team Oracle Tactician John Kostecky's dog ATM.

True. Once he got dumped they only lost 1 race? Just goes to show that local knowledge doesnt beat international experience and talent.

 

[cyclopath]

Ben Ainslie was a big addition, but there was a more to Oracle getting faster than just him. Of course, chucking the best sailor in the world (probably) onto your boat doesn't hurt!

 

[Hugh Jarse]

You are right, full credit should be given to the on shore design and engineering team for Oracle.

There was obviously some serious arse kicking, soul searching, cloud watching and outright elbow grease applied to the boat to achieve the turnaround of fortune on Oracle. Add a tinge of luck, and fickle mother nature and the rest is history.

 

[cyclopath]

Feel for Dean Barker - obviously just shattered, and the, ahem, wanking-on by a couple of politicians leading up to the ceremony was a tad tacky. Classy guy, but now it's going a bit Hollywood.

 

[cyclopath]

At least some irony with AC/DC playing team USA onto the podium.

 

[Lindommer]

How did the Seppos improve their boat speed so dramatically halfway through the regatta?

 

[BarneySF]

Would love to see such a turnaround with the Wobs (had to draw some tenuous parallel there)

 

[Muttonbird]

How did the Seppos improve their boat speed so dramatically halfway through the regatta?

A combination of factors apparently:

They learned how to sail their boat
Changed their foil package
Introduced/refined/maximised their automatic foiling system

Meanwhile, Team NZ had maximised their boat and crew-work before the finals started.

All I can say is, I'm glad it's over.

 

[mark_s]

I also heard that team USA didn't have many races against other catarmarans in the elad up, so it took them longer to come up to speed.

What a strange outcome though. Team USA wins sporting an All Black sail, skippered by an Aussie with the key person on board being a brit.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I also heard that team USA didn't have many races against other catarmarans in the elad up, so it took them longer to come up to speed.

What a strange outcome though. Team USA wins sporting an All Black sail, skippered by an Aussie with the key person on board being a brit.

Taking it further CEO of Team USA was a NZer. Black sail hardly surprising. The third key person on Oracle USA was Tom Slingsby - an Aussie.

There was an Aussie or two on board the NZ boat as well.

America's cup has become multinationalised since the prescriptive days of the 80's when NYYC ran the rock show and EVERYTHING had to be sourced from the nation or citizens of that nation challenging for the cup.

 

[I like to watch]

Can anyone gives short explanation regarding the 2 race penalty imposed on the yanks prior to final series commencing?

 

[Hugh Jarse]

I think it was related to a continuation of the same sort of behaviour that saw them in 1983 trying to look up Australia II's skirt.

Industrial espionage. Their crime - they got caught.

 

[I like to watch]

I read briefly,that they were caught illegally putting lead weights in one of their boats in the qualifying.
The bit I didn't get,was they advised the cheating occurred on one of their two45 footers and not the 73 foot racing boat?
It just didn't make sense to me, that's why I'd see if someone knew the background.

 

[Dan54]

Actually that the Oracle CEO won the Americas cup for NZ as a skipper. I used to work with his old man in Wellington way back when, always used to ask him why the boy was sailing and not playing rugby, told him there no future in bloody sailing, ok apart from a gold medal at Olympics a couple of America's cups and roughly 20 mill a year pay check.

Man, I don't understand why more people don't listen to my advice!!!!

 

[strokeside]

Watching today's race you would have to say that the NZ'ers would have been lucky to win 1 or 2 let alone 8. Brilliant split course tactics and far superior upwind boatspeed from the yanks! crazy boats though.

 

[strokeside]

As well as the Team NZ feeling pretty miserable, I wouldn't want to be former Team Oracle Tactician John Kostecky's dog ATM.

Not a good look on his resume! Particularly for a local boy!

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Watching today's race you would have to say that the NZ'ers would have been lucky to win 1 or 2 let alone 8. Brilliant split course tactics and far superior upwind boatspeed from the yanks! crazy boats though.

The dominance that Oracle had today was like the dominance that the NZ boat had in the first 9 races that got them to the 8-1 situation.

The NZ folk are absolutely gutted because there was a race in light airs that was called off under the 40 minute time limit in which they were about 1km ahead of Oracle with about 4 minutes to go before they crossed the line. Had that race played out (and not been ended as a DNF) NZ would have won the Cup by 9-3 or thereabouts about a week ago.

A very cruel mistress is sport. Those 4 minutes will cost the NZ economy about 500 million dollars of lost revenue.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Something on the Oracle Penalty here:
from NZ Herald.co.nz

(http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10911561)

Why Oracle is being investigated
* While the illegal modifications were made on the smaller AC45 catamarans during the America's Cup World Series regattas, the deliberate breaches could have serious implications for Oracle's America's Cup campaign.
* The international jury is investigating Oracle under rule 69 of the racing rules of sailing, and article 60 of the protocol which governs the America's Cup. Both rules relate to upholding the integrity of the sport.
* The protocol states competitors shall not engage in any conduct or activity that "may impair public confidence in the honest and orderly conduct of the America's Cup".
* Deliberate breaches of class rules are regarded seriously as they are difficult to detect and the sport relies on the integrity of sailors to not take advantage of a situation.
* Penalties for intentionally altering a measurement condition of a boat can therefore be severe, and may include substantial bans from the sport.

 

[BarneySF]

http://www.americascup.com/en/news/...-yacht-club-confirmed-as-challenger-of-record

See if we can pool some of that talent.