Americas Cup

Pross
Pross Posts: 40,217
edited June 2017 in The cake stop
Just watching the qualifying for this which I've never seen before. Anyone know what the deal is with them on a sort of double tandem in the boat? They look like a team pursuit. I wonder if having cyclists in the crew would help?

Comments

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    To answer my own question, it's only the Kiwis using it to raise winches. Everyone else is still doing it by hand. I'd have thought pedal power would be easier to sustain but then maybe the hand system allows for a longer lever than cranks do.
  • solosuperia
    solosuperia Posts: 333
    If the Kiwis win......... They will all be equipped with them next year.
    Can you imagine the talk around the yacht club bar..... I'm using Shimano, oh you can't Campag are so much better!
    Now here is a thought, you can deliver more power through leg power(I don't know if that is true.... but it feels true).
    Will they power higher geared winches or even use geared winches?
  • FocusZing
    FocusZing Posts: 4,373
    screen%20shot%202017-02-21%20at%20103337%20am.png
    F8157EE4-37B5-4E3F-95F4C67E31D1921C.jpg
    2016-10-20_8-33-31.jpg

    Talking of weird type tings. What do make of this (sailing yacht A)?
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,217
    If the Kiwis win......... They will all be equipped with them next year.
    Can you imagine the talk around the yacht club bar..... I'm using Shimano, oh you can't Campag are so much better!
    Now here is a thought, you can deliver more power through leg power(I don't know if that is true.... but it feels true).
    Will they power higher geared winches or even use geared winches?

    Been watching the last two days having never watched before. The wife, who generally hates sport, has been riveted and researching the finer details. From what the commentators are saying the Kiwi boat tacks more quickly, even to my untrained eye they seem to be turning more sharply and keeping their hulls more clear of the water. The British boat seems to slow and not helped by getting a hull holed right at the start of their race against Japan. Not understanding the finer arts it looked like the Japanese boat cut them up but apparently as they'd got their bows in front they had right of way and the Brits should have taken evasive action so they picked up a penalty.
  • john80
    john80 Posts: 2,965
    The kiwis have chosen winches driven by pedals as this gives a higher wattage output compared to arms due to physiology. The downside of this is that you need the crew to cross the boat for manoeuvres as their around say 300-500kg weight gives righting moment and hence speed and the hand grinders can cross the boat and get back to full power generation quicker. I believe that the Kiwi approach will win out but this is a small part of the overall package to win the Americas cup and therefore will unlikely ne the deciding factor.

    Sailing Yacht A pictured above is the worst form of egomaniac creation. It features tonnes of illegally felled teak, a poor design and ugly aesthetics. Compared to any of the current super yachts powered by sail he might as well not have bothered as it is a tanker with large flags.
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Haven't the Kiwis fallen over and broken their boat? Maybe pedalling isn't such a great idea?

    I love the tech in these things. If they were road bikes, people would still be arguing that square-riggers look so much nicer and these hydro-plane thingies are pointless....
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • john80
    john80 Posts: 2,965
    Haven't the Kiwis fallen over and broken their boat? Maybe pedalling isn't such a great idea?

    I love the tech in these things. If they were road bikes, people would still be arguing that square-riggers look so much nicer and these hydro-plane thingies are pointless....

    The went over their bows yesterday however the shore team were optimistic that they would be out today again but the forecast is for even windier. They got out manoeuvred at the start by ben and had to do a tight turn to get across the line which combined with the wind and probably some foil set up mistakes led to the capsize. BAR need to up their game to beat them as they are slower in the light winds based on prior matches.
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    john80 wrote:

    The went over their bows yesterday

    Ooh - I've done that on a small cat before - tried a jibe on a really windy day on a rental cat and over we went. Must be quite exciting on an Americas Cup boat.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    Yessss - your version of exciting is a bit different from mine. I'd go for terrifying - they're HUGE boats.
  • davesnothere
    davesnothere Posts: 620
    Fenix wrote:
    Yessss - your version of exciting is a bit different from mine. I'd go for terrifying - they're HUGE boats.

    They are, the mast is 21 metres tall and that boat was doing 30 knots (35 mph) or so when it pitchpoled. That's scary stuff
    GET WHEEZY - WALNUT LUNG RACING TEAM™
  • john80
    john80 Posts: 2,965
    They have strengthened the main spar of the wing and added buoyancy to prevent the prior AC72 problem of when the boat capsizes the mast then breaks and the boat falls onto the people in the water. The injuries from falling from height onto structures still exist and are real though. It is a pretty extreme form of sailing and certainly drastically different to conventional dinghy or keelboat racing.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 51,195
    john80 wrote:
    The...factor.

    Sailing Yacht A pictured above is the worst form of egomaniac creation. It features tonnes of illegally felled teak, a poor design and ugly aesthetics. Compared to any of the current super yachts powered by sail he might as well not have bothered as it is a tanker with large flags.

    Not good. Why Teak? Why not a lighter, more modern man made composite.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • gethinceri
    gethinceri Posts: 1,510
    Probably for the same reason Onassis supposedly chose whale prepuces as upholstery on his yacht.
  • john80
    john80 Posts: 2,965
    Pinno wrote:
    john80 wrote:
    The...factor.

    Sailing Yacht A pictured above is the worst form of egomaniac creation. It features tonnes of illegally felled teak, a poor design and ugly aesthetics. Compared to any of the current super yachts powered by sail he might as well not have bothered as it is a tanker with large flags.

    Not good. Why Teak? Why not a lighter, more modern man made composite.

    Teak has a long history on boat decks both for is aesthetics and generally hard wearing material. Weight is not an issue on this boat as it is essentially a ship. On new yachts there are fake teak options that still give the look but are lighter. Only race boats are painted and this is higher maintenance compared to a teak deck.
  • fenix
    fenix Posts: 5,437
    Pross wrote:
    Just watching the qualifying for this which I've never seen before. Anyone know what the deal is with them on a sort of double tandem in the boat? They look like a team pursuit. I wonder if having cyclists in the crew would help?

    I saw some of the racing yesterday - pretty sure they said there was an Olympic cyclist in the NZ crew.

    I did find it a bit hard to follow - no idea where they were meant to be going next - and with the perfect blue sea and all of the useful computer graphics on the display - at times it looked more like a computer game than real life. Those hydrofoils though. Wow !
  • FocusZing
    FocusZing Posts: 4,373
    Incredible how much of the time they are using the foils too, a lot better compared to a few years ago.

    SilverSwan_3X.jpg
    I'm going to build myself one of these.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    FocusZing wrote:

    SilverSwan_3X.jpg
    I'm going to build myself one of these.

    Hmm - swimming trunks or cycling shorts ...

    anyway - a recumbant would reduce the air-drag.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Did Guy Martin attempt to make one of those ?
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    cougie wrote:
    Did Guy Martin attempt to make one of those ?

    Yes - total failure
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • FatTed
    FatTed Posts: 1,205
    Americas Cup is now New Zealand's Cup
    SIMON VAN VELTHOOVEN