Posted on 02/07/2010 10:12:14 PM PST by cabojoe
You can drive yourself mad at the America's Cup trying to evaluate who will have the upper hand. As the big day looms, the non-stop round of team press conferences, private briefings and general speculation among expert commentators can send your mind spinning with facts, figures and theories. The outcome is frequently that you end up more confused and less the wiser.
With two days to go until the scheduled start of the 33rd America's Cup that's precisely what has happened.
Since BMW Oracle unveiled its giant wingmast it's been difficult not to be drawn by the potential advantages that this extraordinary piece of technology might offer. The possible benefits of speed, power, pointing ability and manoeuvrability is a potent proposition for any race boat and surely a clear advantage in a match race. But has the team over stated its confidence in the wing and the capabilities of its trimaran?
BMW Oracle Racing's CEO Russell Coutts is keen to point out that his team's boat is better in stronger breezes than Alinghi's catamaran, a boat that was designed with lighter, flat water conditions in mind. Certainly the publicity shots and video clips of USA-17 blasting through a swell at 25 knots would seem to support the suggestion that they're geared up for the breeze. Yet the dockside chatter is that the team does have concerns as to how they will cope come the day. Such issues may start with simply stepping the wing or getting the boat out of the harbour in a downwind breeze.
"Even wheeling the wing in and out of the shed makes you nervous, especially when there's some wind," says design director Mike Drummond. "I don't think I'll ever feel confident in stepping this mast, it's the most scary thing we do. At least when we sail we've got options. If you get it wrong just once, you never get a chance to come back."
He has good reason to feel nervous. A fortnight ago one of the lifting strops broke as the mast was being moved on shore. Despite assessing and repairing the damage, when the boat next sailed, a loud bang was heard during training and the day's sailing was called off.
In another training session the on board generator failed after water got into some of the controls. While it might be possible to sail the boat manually, such a failure on the race course could be disastrous.
On the other hand, the speculation surrounding Alinghi's prospects starts from the basis that their boat is significantly more highly loaded thanks to the forces exerted by the conventional sail plan and rig. Slam this puppy into a few big waves at even just a modest pace of 25 knots and the increase in the loads such as the 100tonne compression at the mast foot, or the 50 tonnes on the genoa tack don't bear thinking about.
Principal designer Rolf Vrolijk has no hesitation in confirming that their boat is indeed more highly stressed, but is also quick to point out that a large part of the development process has been driving home the point that the crew need to sail within the limits for which the boat has been designed.
"Now we have sailed the boat as much as we have, it's starting to feel like just another boat, we've got quite used to it," he said. "That in itself can be a cause for concern as it's easy to underestimate the loads that are involved."
Then there are the issues of sail choice and changing. Assessing what sail will be required for the reaching leg in race two from 19 miles out will be a task and a half. Not only will the wind speed be an issue, but planning for the angle will require a crystal ball. Changing 30m tall headsails with 40 knots blowing over the deck is a massive task.
Vrolijk concedes that perhaps BMW Oracle's wing will be slightly more versatile here, but goes on to point out that Alinghi V is better equipped to fly headsails and gennakers more efficiently thanks to the boat's far stiffer structure.
In a ‘normal' America's Cup there would at least be some historical data, be it performances in previous races, or accurate computer models to simulate the relative speeds and modes of the boats. Here there's nothing. USA-17's upwind capability is just one example of the confusion that reigns. Talk to those who've sailed with solid wing masts and you'll come away believing that such configurations can often sail a few degrees higher. Talk to Alinghi about what they've observed of their opponents and they'll tell you they expect the American team to sail lower and faster upwind.
But it's not just the teams that are having trouble coming to the same conclusions and evaluating how the racing might unfold. The race organisation are having to explore new and unknown territory too.
A 20 nautical mile beat presents all kinds of problems in assessing the wind speed and direction over the course, to say nothing of the task of laying marks. In 300ft of water it will be impractical to anchor buoys. Instead, boats bearing marks will have to hold station, and that includes the committee boat and the start line marks.
And spare a thought for the umpires. Keeping pace with the boats will be tricky, even in flat water. When the waves build even to just 1m, holding 20-25 knots in one of the RIBs is a bone jarring experience at best.
But perhaps the most amusing last minute issue to crop up was when someone in the Alinghi team realised that they hadn't thought about whether they had made provision to carry a protest flag. The rumours circulating at present is that USA-17 will be flying one as she enters the start box for the first race if the Swiss decide to use their 3DL sails. But then, that's just one of a thousand rumours and topics of discussion firing around the Darsena.
The most popular subject is that of performance, but here this America's Cup is presenting more questions than answers and no amount of shoreside debate appears to be able to make the situation any clearer.
The only issue that is unambiguous, is that unlike any of the recent America's Cups, the teams don't know either.
So will they race on Monday? At the moment the prospects look good with a wind speed of 7(ish) knots from W to SW at 10am which then decreases gradually through the morning with a wave height of around 0.5m. Whether these are the real numbers or not barely matter, the real issue is that at present, the conditions look well within the limits - whatever they are.
Therein lies another keenly discussed issue.
Racing is due to start 8 Feb 2010 with following races 10th & 12 Feb in a best of three series.
BMW Oracle Racing: We Want To Win This Cup YouTube Video
Plenty of info at CupInfo
Good luck to both teams, but I'm wishing the best of luck to USA 17 and the people that built her, crew her, maintain her, and support her. Bring the Cup back home!
Ping
Shouldn’t it be “Pilot yourself mad” in the opening paragraph?
I remember there was a time when the America’s Cup was a big deal, and how devastating it was to lose it after all those years.
I see what you did there.
NO US TV COVERAGE. What a bummer! I always enjoyed the “dance” that the boats went thru at the startof each race.
When did America Cup Boats become cats?
It’s a Deed of Gift Race...things will return to normal after this Cup. I’m sure maybe someone can explain it better than me.
It used to be that the skill and experience of the crew aboard a well-built boat would win the day. Now, the sport has been taken over by a bunch of techno-whores and Speed Racers. The back of my hand to them. I will sail my self-built 22-foot wooden sailboat and flip the bird to every single gee-whiz sailor who passes me on his Kevlar Kruiser.
Screw you, whiz kids. That ain't sailing.
I’ve owned a cat since the 70’s, but haven’t followed the Cup for ~20 years. Cats rule.
I am of the same thought. Give them all an identical boat and let their skills decide the winner. That does sound a bit socialist though.
I’ve always been a power boater, and we used to make fun of the sail boaters when we were on a delivery. But I know a bit about being part of a crew and the work that it takes to keep a yacht going, and I respect both teams for that. The majority of the people that worked for these yachts are people just like you and I. And these yachts are the fastest ever built...that’s worth a bit of respect. I think they are gorgeous.
I remember worrying about exceeding the harbor speed limit as we returned from LI Sound to our launching beach one windy day.
Sounds like fun, you still have your boat?
Yep, now I have to teach my dog to go sailing as my wife is still afraid of the thing going turtle.
I think the harbor police were giving me the evil eye, but I was sailing just outside the channel markers (and passing everybody else).
Not really. The way I see it, the skill, savvy and ingenuity of each crew and skipper is put to the test to win or lose. Sounds like a free-enterprise system to me.
Couple things cabojoe,
Where do you put your Bertram in?
You must be awfully pproud of your dad,
Sounds like a heck of a guy to grow up with.
The Bertram was sitting down in Cabo on the trailer for ten years unused. Dad sold all the houses down there and we moved the boat back up here. It’s just not like it used to be down there(too political and crowded), and I hate even going across the border any more(dangerous). It’s still got some work to do on the fuel system but I’ve taken my time getting the engines all lubed up (had to hand crank them for ever). I finally got the engines running safely. I’m in San Diego. Dad is an unstoppable billfishing maniac, just looking for world records I guess. I think everyone from his generation that I grew up with were great.
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