America's Cup 2021 Defense

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#2674008 13-Mar-2021 22:02

Looks like it will be a blow for blow slugfest till the last race, one race to decide it all ?

Starts seem to be critical and LR team has done more racing starts under real racing conditions.
Remember when two boat challenges were new and became big advantage.

TNZ might be ok with marginal win of start or even start but LR can't afford this ?
Boats gassing each other can decide a start not just eliminating passing lanes in low wind.
Low wind amplifies above, in high wind conditions lead boat may not be so comfy if one behind is fast.
Looks like its light wind all the way.

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Oblivian

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#2674033 13-Mar-2021 23:04

I got a bad feeling it won't be a simple case to first to 7.

It's going to be 6:6. And whoever gets the better side draw for the 7th

tdgeek

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#2674069 14-Mar-2021 07:54

ezbee:

Looks like it will be a blow for blow slugfest till the last race, one race to decide it all ?

Starts seem to be critical and LR team has done more racing starts under real racing conditions.
Remember when two boat challenges were new and became big advantage.

TNZ might be ok with marginal win of start or even start but LR can't afford this ?
Boats gassing each other can decide a start not just eliminating passing lanes in low wind.
Low wind amplifies above, in high wind conditions lead boat may not be so comfy if one behind is fast.
Looks like its light wind all the way.

The port side advantage gives that boat more chance of controlling the pre start, so they can do better in staying in control. Force the other boat to go a certain direction, slow them, box them in. If you are in light winds and you are trying to escape the other boat in the pre start you tack more and that slows you down. LR is better at low speed as TNZ has smaller foils, so IMO LR has an advantage there, and they appear to be just better at the starts.

Not sure if higher winds would help a lot, but in the pre start it should help us more as less chance of being slowed to the risky speed? If it was high winds and we lost the start we will still be in dirty air as LR will just cover us all race as they are doing.

tdgeek

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#2674071 14-Mar-2021 07:58

Handle9: I can't see any advantage to either side in these conditions. Both teams have won 3 starts, both teams are sailing with minimal mistakes. Luna Rossa have made as many errors as TNZ.

The starts today were almost identical, both boats hit soft patches and struggled to get up.

According to the experts there is an advantage. Not a slam dunk advantage though. I didn't read that TNZ struck a low patch, what I heard os that they were too early, had to bleed off speed. They were close to the top of the start box, and LR was below them so not as much option to keep speed up and change direction to let a few seconds roll by.

tdgeek

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#2674073 14-Mar-2021 08:04

Oblivian:

I got a bad feeling it won't be a simple case to first to 7.

It's going to be 6:6. And whoever gets the better side draw for the 7th

I dunno. We were lucky yesterday, lost our start due to error, they lost their start due to luck. They said Course A is a boat speed course. No passing lanes, one leads the other follows end of race. Course C is more shifty, so thats a skill course, where if you are behind, pick the better shift sooner, you can pass

The advantage I feel we have is we are faster enough to just race to the wind if in front, forget the other boat, we are just quicker. LR if in front has to box us in all race, as we are just quicker, either way lead boat wins.

We seem quicker they seem better skilled is how it seems to me

Senecio

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#2674219 14-Mar-2021 13:26

I keep hearing about the difference in foils. What’s stopping TNZ putting larger foils on in lighter winds?

tdgeek

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#2674222 14-Mar-2021 13:49

Senecio: I keep hearing about the difference in foils. What’s stopping TNZ putting larger foils on in lighter winds?

This comers from a late January article about TNZ's foil tests

Teams are allowed six foils each and while they can revert back to earlier foils, they are required to declare all of the equipment they're planning to use on the Wednesday before racing starts.

I assume same applies in the finals, you can't change them on a whim as you can with sails.

Oblivian

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#2674234 14-Mar-2021 14:30

Correct. They were locked in the week before. No futher changes allowed

tdgeek

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#2674240 14-Mar-2021 14:59

Wind marginal, 6kph now, 10kph ,11kph and 14kph for 4pm, 5pm and 6pm Minimum 5 minute average is 6.5 knots which is 12kph. But anecdotally, they seem to blow more than forecast

JaseNZ

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#2674464 14-Mar-2021 18:51

Just seen on the news as all the boats coming back into the harbour all jumping up and down having fun which is awesome pity none of them were wearing a life jacket, over the side and pissed and thats all she wrote.

Ding Ding Ding Ding Ding : Ice cream man , Ice cream man

Fred99

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#2674718 15-Mar-2021 09:16

JaseNZ:

Just seen on the news as all the boats coming back into the harbour all jumping up and down having fun which is awesome pity none of them were wearing a life jacket, over the side and pissed and thats all she wrote.

The ones I've seen seemed to be relatively safe, you're not required to wear a life jacket on boats over 6m, most of the boats I saw returning were large (or alternatively "huge" or "palatial") small ships with full life-lines/rails, on very flat water, travelling slow. I'm fairly sure they see the TV cameras and put on a show. I'd wager there's a fair bit of puking goes on as well, while the racing is on I guess spectator boats stay put and it might not be too bad, but when they're on the move the sea chops up with wakes very fast, with a strong puke-inducing motion for landlubbers - even on quite large boats. It's nice for the fish that they're being fed part-digested caviar marinated in champagne instead of the usual fare of bluebird chips in rum.

I saw described elsewhere, it's a procession of Auckland landlords travelling much slower than they do when delivering rent increase notices. Fascinating.

Oblivian

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#2674739 15-Mar-2021 09:51

Yesterdays roll-out footage showed lines of boats sitting in each others wake chugging along to stop being thrown all over the place. It's a ~2hr trip at restricted 5kts (teams are not restricted so boost past everyone waving)

Seems they also crank the music and congregate in the inner harbour outside the team sheds until sunset partying the night away too. Which is where a lot of the showboating for camera is seen.

Fred99

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#2674758 15-Mar-2021 10:39

I wonder if those support boats with 4 x 450hp outboards could even travel at <5 knots with all 4 engines at idle speed.
Angry school headmistresses wouldn't have a chance of belting you with an oar if you had one of those as a tender.

GV27

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#2675053 15-Mar-2021 16:28

Do my ears deceive me, or did I just see a lead change?

Oblivian

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#2675055 15-Mar-2021 16:34

Our mid wind speed card has been drawn.

Now watch for the pressure to run in lighter regardless from LR

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