NZ putting America's cup on the right track

[StuM]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

I like the Nationality rule.
Two types of boats? It's already too expensive.
Age rule? I dont get that one but I think it's BS. Then add you must have some over 60 and 50% women also.

Someone didn't read right to the end of that post

[Jim Cate]

Originally Posted by estarzinger

foiling kite boards

fast and athletic
great fun to watch
inexpensive
no huge Auckland space needs for cranes, etc.
It is the digital 21st century, size and mass are 'out'

Naahhh, not gonna happen: not big enough sails and hulls to put sponsors logos on, and harder to have good on deck TV coverage!

Jim

[Pole]

Originally Posted by Triumphant

It would be more interesting if NZ bring back the rule that all challengers have to sail their boats to the competition.

Now we're talking! This would mean they would have to be actual sailing boats that could go out in actual weather conditions and swells and wind and stuff.

I thought the last America's Cup was interesting technically. Those boats are fantastic - no question - but what I didn't like: I helmsman, 1 guy with an X-box controller, some other guys powering the hydraulics. Why don't they just replace the grinders/peddlers with batteries of the same weight?

When one bad gybe means you have lost 200 metres and you're out of the race - not even a bad gybe, just one slightly slow gybe will do it - or a penalty and a 360 means you can't recover... well, then you're not watching a race any more, just marveling at the speed of those AC's.

I would like to see tactics, spinnakers hauled and dropped, port and starboard, tacks and gybes in proper sea-going boats.

But thats just me.

PS... I DO like the innovation of the foils, and the blistering speed, and watching 2 boats approach each other at closing speeds of 60 kts... there's a place for it in the stadium sailing we're seeing. But for the keenly contested America's Cup, lets hope they come up with something sane!

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Pole

Now we're talking! This would mean they would have to be actual sailing boats that could go out in actual weather conditions and swells and wind and stuff.

I thought the last America's Cup was interesting technically. Those boats are fantastic - no question - but what I didn't like: I helmsman, 1 guy with an X-box controller, some other guys powering the hydraulics. Why don't they just replace the grinders/peddlers with batteries of the same weight?

When one bad gybe means you have lost 200 metres and you're out of the race - not even a bad gybe, just one slightly slow gybe will do it - or a penalty and a 360 means you can't recover... well, then you're not watching a race any more, just marveling at the speed of those AC's.

I would like to see tactics, spinnakers hauled and dropped, port and starboard, tacks and gybes in proper sea-going boats.

But thats just me.

PS... I DO like the innovation of the foils, and the blistering speed, and watching 2 boats approach each other at closing speeds of 60 kts... there's a place for it in the stadium sailing we're seeing. But for the keenly contested America's Cup, lets hope they come up with something sane!

While watching the cup I had that same thought... why are these guys on board at all?

[nuvaslacker]

Originally Posted by redsky49

It would be nice if they at least had a resemblance to sailboats, as opposed to the pedal powered, iPad controlled monstrosities they are currently racing. How much more divorced from reality will these contraptions become?
I would like to see a 55-60' monohull, with an uphill/downhill/reaching course. Nothing more entertaining than a botched chute while rounding a mark.

Just as Formula 1 motor racing should be run in Nissan Micras, I guess.

There are plenty of yacht races for conventional yachts, several long distance races for testing endurance etc..

The America's Cup attracts enough money that it can demand vessels with the latest technology, and, just like Formula 1, only usable on special racetracks.

Technology does eventually trickle down for those that want it in the cruising fraternity; not compulsory.

[wjhutchings]

Why don't they go back to the original rules, you built the boat in the country it representing, sailed it from that country to the race venue raced for better or worse then sailed it back home again.


You could bring in some interesting rules like extra points for final race regatta qualification such as distance sailed, canals transited the list goes on, at least the crews would be well qualified seafarers.

The host nation boat would have to undertake say 5,000 miles ocean passage but automatically qualify for the final race regatta.

[David M]

For the general public who typically know nothing about yacht racing, monohull racing is boring. No offense, it just is. With slower boats, one must understand what is happening for it to be interesting. If NASCAR was regulated to VW Bug sized carburetors and tires would it still be interesting for someone who knows nothing about auto racing?

At least 2/3's of the crew should be citizens of the country that the boat is from.

Keep it as simple as possible. This will help to keep it out of the courts.

[ZULU40]

I was sad to see 12m racing end in Americas Cup, kinda the end of an era. Sure they've got incomparably more boat speed now, but the 12s had a grace and style especially in tacking duels that appears to be gone forever

[David M]

I certainly understand romanticizing the 12 meters, they were pretty and graceful. These races were also sailed offshore a ways where very few could watch the races.

The realities of this economically driven world is that the more eyeballs that watch something the better, because of advertising revenue. That helps to pay for the cost of the sport.

If only those who truly understood yacht racing were watching large monohulls race around a traditional course, then that would indeed be a pretty small audience.

Put some speed, a little danger and craziness into a yacht race and the people who know little to nothing about yacht racing, increases the size of the audience exponentially.

I think the best thing for the sport overall is for there to be more people who become interested in the sport. People who understand yacht racing are already interested.

The other problem with the sport is that it is only for wealthy snobs, "snotty yachties". You and I know that is mostly incorrect, but the perception still exists. Expose the sport to mass audiences and at least some of that mostly false perception goes away.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by Polux

It will be again a Cup between Nations, the boats will have to be built on the country of the participant and all the sailors have to be nationals of that country.

I had said on some forum that it should be like that long ago. It is good to see that somebody agrees with me LOL.

[ArmyDaveNY]

While I preferred the monohulls, they could still make it much more interesting by making the races longer, have more way points, and go back to sails and chutes. I also would like to see them get rid of hydraulics and let the crew grind away.

[Sailorbob8599]

Originally Posted by Jim Cate

Total agreement here, Greg! These new AC boats provide the only sailboat racing that is actually interesting to watch. Yacht racing is way down on the list of spectator sports in my book... fun to do, boring to watch! Jim

Boring you say! Have you never watched a game of English Cricket? ... now that's MY definition of boring.

As for nationalism, I'm all for it myself ... just think; The U.S.A. would never again win the 'Stanley Cup'. The only reason they do so now is the fact the best players on the majority of U.S. hockey teams are pretty much all Canadian boys.

Generally speaking, I don't normally follow sport of any kind because I see it mainly as 'big business' ... just consider player salary contracts or, price out a pair of tickets to watch any major sport game. That should explain my opinion on the subject.
However if I chose to follow any sport at all, it would be British Rugby Football ... My favorite team(s)??? For 'patriotism' ... I love watching England vs Wales as much for the game itself, but also for the sound of multi thousands of voices singing the Welsh national anthem in unison. You can hear every single word! An absolutely unforgettable fantastic sound ... I'm not ashamed to say, it raises goose bumps every time I hear them. (Google it, you'll understand what I speak of); ... As for exciting ferocity of play, there's no contest, it would be ... 'The All Blacks' of N.Z. now there's a team!

America's Cup? ... Some folk don't know the history of it. Such as, the fact it was donated as a prize by Lord Lipton for the first race between England & USA. The resulting & repeated "win" by the U.S. vessel "AMERICA" gave it the name America's Cup as in the vessel's name, not the country.
Just yesterday I overheard a couple of fellows chatting at the marina who clearly did not know & were very surprised when I explained why it is so named.

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by ZULU40

I was sad to see 12m racing end in Americas Cup, kinda the end of an era. Sure they've got incomparably more boat speed now, but the 12s had a grace and style especially in tacking duels that appears to be gone forever

Amen!

[lordgeoff]

Originally Posted by Guy

So NZ wins for the next 10 years at least.

Like America did for 137 years.

[barnakiel]

I have actually sailed one of the ex-AC long boats (I believe AC-72 or similar). Not exciting at all.

I prefer watching the flying cats. I would buy one immediately if I could.

If NZ are so very nation oriented then I insist their next AC boat is sailed by a 100% Maori crew.

Let's not be smallislandish in our attitude to sailing. We all come from somewhere and if Oracle has a US AC boat sailed mostly by AUS or NZ sailors then what problem is this?

Some people can't get their heads round the simple fact that the world today is more cosmopolitan than 20 years ago.

Someone in a geographically isolated country keeps on thinking in a politically isolated way. Their problem. Ask other Kiwis and you will hear other viewpoints. I lived there. Nobody told me then "you cannot make sails here because you were not born in the land of the long white cloud". Or are we just good material for sailmakers, cab drivers and dock workers, not noble enough to sail their boats?

I think those people in NZ AC team are completely wrong. They will be left in the blank. And the cup will go its own way, the only way, FORWARD.

Elsewhere many people want to watch ultra fast boats sailed by the best sailors in the world. We do not care what language these sailors speak. We all speak the language of sailing, that's the whole point.

Progress is always ahead, never behind you.

Cheers,
b.