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So they test and test and for each windspeed they will have a preferred option.
Can they change sail during a race, as is normal for displacement boats? They wouldn't want to lose enough power to drop off the foils, but if they've dropped off already (and are behind) anything's worth a try. I also read yesterday that nobody has tried their Code Zero yet, and that Luna Rossa were reaching so high to stay on their foils that their downwind vmg was minimal - I haven't seen video so maybe they did try it?
Having seen how long it takes them to get the jib off after the race I don't think a mid race change would work ...Even if it was allowed
Blimey that was gripping. I really liked the cats but had reservations about going back to monohull but I was totally wrong. Excellent stuff.
That take-off in front of the spectators on the last leg was impressive!
Jim Ratcliffe has history of sandbagging/bluffing!
Also as far as I can tell all sponsors are Ineos companies so centrally controlled/pleased/displeased.
Fun to watch on the nightshift though and here's hoping they can keep it up.
10 minutes to change a jib so that's never going to happen (plus they're just not to go carry a spare sail around just in case.... Too heavy.
Code zero would have too much drag once the boat was foiling. Do fun to play with but unrealistic given the race length.
Vmg of 2 knots is fairly pointless so Giles decided that sometimes it was better to just point the boat at the mark as much as possible and go in displacement mode.
AM wouldn't like this as their hull shape doesn't look good for displacement sailing.
At the moment it's looking like ineos and LR in the final, but AM will get back up to speed... Although tactically they're looking a bit dodgy.
The dinghy sailors show their worth in the very light stuff.
Wow, what happens when it goes wrong.
Well, that's probably a fatal setback for the Americans. Hope the Cup is decided by boats getting wrecked in crashes.
Hope the Cup is decided by boats getting wrecked in crashes.
Did you mean isn't?
At least the USA have 4 days to try to fix the boat before the next race.
Did you mean isn’t?
Oops, yes. Hope it isn't decided by crashes.
Good on Ben and crew, that was hard win won.
Some leap out the water from AM. Anyone know more about the damage?
INEOS were lucky about the first race being abandoned but the second attempt was good sailing.
Make America Float again?
Not really been into sailing but this is good stuff. Not going to comment on the tactics etc as I know naff all about it but Kurds quite exciting.
I did a single amatuer yatch race many years ago and did the odd go in a topper and laser as well as sailed round the barrier reef for a couple of weeks but never really be fully bitten by the bug 🙂
I’m not sure Ineos were lucky in the first, they’d just taken the lead with 2 laps to go.
Some leap out the water from AM. Anyone know more about the damage?
They're still towing it back to base. Apparently, there's a hole in the hull that they had to try and plug to stop it sinking, which means that all the gear on board is going to be soaking in seawater. Electrical and hydraulic gear will need to be stripped out and serviced or replaced.
Seeing pictures of it being kept afloat by lots and lots of inflatable bags, it looks like they were very lucky it didn't sink completely
Some pics.
Bits being returned.
Hole.
They look so graceful and the size stops you realising at times guite how fast they are going. At 40knts there is a lot of power in that hull. 7,600Kg has got to dissipiate its energy somewhere.
I've only ever been on one fastish boat that had backstays that needed releasing and that was just on a day out sailing in the top end of a force4 maybe a 5 at times. Lots of warnings from the boat owner about what getting it wrong 'could' result in, and that was on a boat that stuck to the water.
48kts round the corner 😲
INEOS were lucky about the first race being abandoned but the second attempt was good sailing.
It looked to me like they had coped the changing weather really well, and we’re about to take a good lead. Apart from the bit where they were sailing off the course! I’m in two minds - dealing the changing weather is one thing, but racing on in conditions that might destroy the boats is different.
I’d have love to have seen them crack on and cope, but the thing that decides it for me is that the rules cover when changing weather triggers an abandonment, and the boats & tactics are built to win within that rule set. So for me the abandoned race was the right call. Still think Ben was in for the win either way.
In a way I though the low wind and high wind racing both were interesting - especially with the limited changes they can have made over night.
USA have a hard week ahead to get back it out on the water for round 3.
Wow . Amazing racing. Bad news for America magic . I wonder if the other teams will be offering all the help they can. Bit of work to do there..
Don’t they have a spare boat too?
Did the foil leg collapse on landing? Is that what caused the hole?
Don’t they have a spare boat too?
I assume they build the first one to learn how things work, then the second one is refined based on the first one. If the first boat is as good as the second one, they wouldn't bother building two.
Bit of work to do there..
Duct tape and a sheet of plywood should see it good as gold.
They should rename it the Donald Trump!
Seems to be mirroring his recent disasters!
Did the foil leg collapse on landing? Is that what caused the hole?
A couple of forum reports from Auckland are saying it is part of the foil control mechanism mounting & hydraulics that punched a hole through the hull, not foil failure.
The issue with rebuilding isn't the carbon structure - it's all the drowned electronics and electrics. They will be replacing a lot of components that at first glance are ok.
I also suspect there will need to be a micro examination of a lot of mounting points for rig and rudder, foils etc.
Ineos not as good in the strong winds, and America magic even better than Prada. Race conditions could well decide the outcome ...
I also suspect there will need to be a micro examination of a lot of mounting points for rig and rudder, foils etc.
Yes, when you think about it, the hull itself doesn't really do anything when the boat's at speed. There's a structure that links the foil mounts to the rig and rudder, the hull itself is just there to keep it afloat when it's not foiling.
Then, even if the structure is sound, having to strip the entire boat and rebuild it, then get back out on the water and have the confidence to sail it on the limit will be a test.
That was an exciting watch live!
The reason the first race was abandoned was that the final 2 legs would have been on reach so point shoot turn point shoot. They deemed this not to be a proper race so turned the course through 90 degrees for the restart.
From what I've seen Team UK are good at everything atm. Seems to make a big difference have their tactician/navigator, Giles Scott, independent and not doing another job so he is solely focused on reading conditions and advising Ben.
LR and Ineos were told before the race that the front was coming in and could well result in the race being binned.
Probably not to difficult to fix the hull but as already said it's the electronics that will need close examination/replacement.
Nd then there's the question if why the runner wasn't released.... Schoolboy error.
This is the windiest month, my betting is ineos is being optimised for medium winds.
But they're well fast downwind and will take a look at their upwind performance in stronger breeze.
Yes, when you think about it, the hull itself doesn’t really do anything when the boat’s at speed.
Except hold the whole thing together under enormous load!
Nd then there’s the question if why the runner wasn’t released…. Schoolboy error.
Looks like it was a last minute decision change and bad comms that resulted in the runner still being on. Still I don't actually think that would have made much difference. You can't dump the main anyway as the boom is sheeted in hard always. It never goes over the side of the boat and I don't think it could even if the runner was off. True, a little bit of the leech at the top of the main would have spilled some wind but I'm not convinced that would have prevented the capsize.
It's a dark art though. Normal rules don't apply!!
You can’t dump the main anyway as the boom is sheeted in hard always.
My hypothesis is that the backstay caught the sail enough to cause the initial heel, the hull came up but the rudder foil held the stern down, boat flew, crashed back down and lost a lot of speed. If you're doing 40kt in a 20kt wind the apparent wind is shifted so far you don't need to let the main out far to dump it, but if you lose your forward way that no longer applies, hence the capsize. I don't know if anyone was in any state to do anything after they crashed back down, but that was the time to ease the main.
the rudder foil held the stern down
Why would the rudder foil hold the stern down....the foils provide lift
All these hypotheses sound feasible! Equally not much in the way of a righting moment either I don't suppose.
Lift up or down. It’s designed to hold a depth under the water.
Why would the rudder foil hold the stern down….the foils provide lift
The rudder provides the required force, whether up or down. Could be either.
Similar to the tailplane on a large aircraft - which is almost always a downward force since the aerodynamic centre is always behind the centre of gravity.
Not sure about the AC75s, I'd be surprised if it's a downforce, since it'd mean more up force neededon the foils and more drag in total. But they're wired machines with odd forces & moment arms, flying so much faster than the wind so apparent wind is hugely different & changes aren't obvious in their outcomes.
It's great!
I don't understand the physics of things with an AC75, other than they are nothing like a traditional boat. Even compared to something like a Moth with central board and foils, the forces and directions of them are very different.
When the bow rises, the top of the rig is pushing hard towards the mast - which now is laid back some - so creating an upward movement it seems. Go past a point of no return, add in hull lift and foils now at an angle, and that thing will just take off...
American Magic will be out for a while, expect to be ready for the semis.
The make-up of each crew is interesting. AM has skipper/tactician Hutchison also as a grinder. I can’t believe an old bloke makes the best grinder, plus it inhibits his course management. LR has split skippers. Whilst Ineos have less grinders, freeing up Scott to just be a tactician seems to pay dividends. They haven’t seemed to suffer from running 6 grinders instead of 8.
what are the grinders powering? just winches or is it hydraulics too? they change batteries - is this to power the wings or is that just the electronics and cameras and so on?
Grinders = winches.
Batteries = the hydraulic systems and electronics.
The way i see it, the batteries lift and lower the main foils. These batteries run a hydraulic system to do this. The sails (all controls, sheets, fine tune on outhaul, vang, halayard tensions etc), flaps, probably rudder and elevator and winches are all powered by another hydraulic system which is powered by the grinders.
#edit# What Matt said
They haven’t seemed to suffer from running 6 grinders
I think they suffered in the light and fluky winds when they were adjusting all the time, one of the press conferences had a comment about the grinders being spent more so a the end of that race then windier ones. However, having the tactician available to think clearly has paid dividends.