America’s Cup - ETNZ launches 1st AC75 (new)

[Pelagic]

If light winds tomorrow , we could see 5-5

[fxykty]

LRPP cross 3:55 behind. Wow, what a dramatic race. I still think LRPP should get additional penalty for that boundary foul

[CassidyNZ]

The forecast for tomorrow from the professionals this evening is 6 - 8kn. Windy.com are less optimistic, forecasting just 3kn at 16:00 in all courses. Wednesday sees a little more positivity with Windy.com predicting 10 - 11kn on course A and 9kn in course E at 16:00.

So hopefully we won’t have to race in light air tomorrow and get a better opportunity on Wednesday. Let’s see tomorrow.

[Pelagic]

Ironically it is the light wind foiling conditions that have made for the more entertaining race.
Sort of like walking a tightrope!

NZ did a masterful job in that 2nd race to win

[fxykty]

Originally Posted by Pelagic

Ironically it is the light wind foiling conditions that have made for the more entertaining race.
Sort of like walking a tightrope!

NZ did a masterful job in that 2nd race to win

TNZ were lucky that their dumb ass gybe on catching LRPP downwind that dropped them off their foils was followed by LRPP finding a hole in the wind and dropped off their foils in turn. Pure luck, though they did a great job staying on their foils through the rest of the race, despite having a jib two sizes too small.

The first race however, that showed both boat speed and well timed tacks to cover. That was the well deserved win.

[Pelagic]

Hard to see on tv but did the spectator fleet at top of course make it harder for LR to get back up on foils quicker?

[Scotty Kiwi]

Exciting!

Hey, it's all been said about the racing, but here's a thought about all the past discussion about it just/mainly being about money? Are there still doubters as to whether it is now, in the end, sheeting back to skill?

A check of Wiki (briefly) on the four top guys: Tuke, Burling, Bruni, Spithill. Incredible ... each and every one, but it seems there's an vast difference in the past competitive success rates:

- Tuke, Burling (pretty much as a partnership) - Olympic Gold, Olympic Silver, about 6 - 8 world championships, and around the world 3rd ... and they're younger (better check that).
- Bruni, Spithill - one was ranked about 10th in three different world champs, and the other a previous AC win ....

Of course recent past success isn't everything about current skill, but its a pretty good sign ....

Once the boats are equal .... and the luck of the gods evens out over time, it's still about the more skilled sailors.

Thoughts?

[Wotname]

A BIG thanks to everyone posting today.

The AC race series barely makes it on any Aussie media and certainly none on the day.

But I can follow the action by tuning into this thread!!!!!!

[Scotty Kiwi]

Originally Posted by boatman61

Was it just me or do other people think Team NZ were luffing slightly from time to time during the first 4 legs in the second race till Italy was close on 500metres ahead before clawing back 20 seconds in the last 2 legs..

A bit beyond my skill and fading eyes to notice that, Boaty, but expecting your point is good (my money would be on it), I'm reminded of the Marc Marquez (the Alien) sometimes strategy in Moto GP - keep you opposition close enough so you can watch their every move.

For MotoGP that means following, seeing the weakness, and pouncing when appropriate.

If you're right, then could TNZ be doing that, while close covering for the current race, but also to learn more about their performance strengths and weaknesses while they're under pressure, for use in future races?

[Scotty Kiwi]

Originally Posted by Wotname

A BIG thanks to everyone posting today.

The AC race series barely makes it on any Aussie media and certainly none on the day.

But I can follow the action by tuning into this thread!!!!!!

You're on the Americas Cup Web site right, with live stream? IF not, or if you can't, use a VPN (Hola) and get it via NZ Hola. NO sweat

[IslandHopper]

You can watch it live here in Aus.......

https://www.americascup.com/

[MicHughV]

ouch.....gonna be tough....not impossible...but tough for LR to bounce back here.....they'd have to win 3 in a row....what's the odds ???

but we've been down this road before......coming back from behind has been done before...

[Compass790]

The funny thing is that all the other challengers & the defender wanted to have an 8 knot lower wind limit after Xmas cup but LR would not agree as they thought they had an advantage in the light.
Well how that's come back to bite them.
Mind you TNZ was lucky in race 8.

[CassidyNZ]

Originally Posted by Compass790

Mind you TNZ was lucky in race 8.

Interesting perspective.

Luck is a relative term. Were LRPP not also lucky that ETNZ screwed up the gybe and dropped into the water? That was a rare error and had they not done that there was every possibility that they would have passed LRPP and won anyway.

That LRPP read the dropping wind incorrectly and didn’t exercise more care in that critical tack is not bad luck anymore than ETNZ gybing into an obvious hole in the wind left by the other boat. But ETNZ exercised due care sailing through the flukey dying wind and kept their boat foiling in the exact same conditions that saw LRPP ploughing a furrow. Remember, they were almost alongside the other boat at the top of the track. That’s not luck.

My question is how far can a team go building up penalties before they get “black flagged”? At one point LRPP were hundreds of meters outside the boundary. Is it OK to say “we’ve got a penalty anyway, let’s make the best of it”?

[jmh2002]

Originally Posted by IslandHopper

You can watch it live here in Aus.......

https://www.americascup.com/

Some Aussies seemed to have problems with the international YouTube feed, but there is a specific Australian YouTube feed here:

https://www.americascup.com/en/live/country-locations