[Closed] America's Cup

$80 million 😯

Blooming great news. Bring it on. Absolutely mad sport, and such a great event.

$80 million 😯

That'll be a struggle for Adrian Newey - he's used to having a lot more than that to play with!

$80 million will just about buy the tenders.

Yay!

Best news Eva.

FACT 😀

$80 million 😯

Assuming those are US dollars, then that's less than a quater of what Oracle spent defending it last year (reportedly $340million). Although Ainslie's contribution was cheep and effective!

Odd that Newey is thinking of giving it a go despite saying he's leaving F1 due to the rules being too strict. Rumours of the AC35 protocol are for cheaper boats with more one design parts, especialy in the wing.

A new entrant cannot win this cup with $100m. That's what NZ spent last time as was confirmed by their CEO, as above Oracle rumoured to be more than double that. The AC is very interesting but daft money. Ben has announced but he doesn't have anything like all the money.

Newry is an interesting addition and Red Bull said he would be working on a yachting project. With the high speeds of the foiling wing sailed catamarans aerodynamics have become very important.

@bikebouy a colleague and AC follower said that Sir Ben had to cancel a meeting in Portsmouth where he wants to have his testing base as the amount of protestors was going to be significant and the venue couldn't cope. BAR want to build a large shed for the boat and residents are very much against.

Rumours of the AC35 protocol are for cheaper boats with more one design parts, especialy in the wing.

I worked in design in the americas cup a few years ago

80 million might get him a poke in the eye

It's been a while since the last announcement of plans for a new, British team to take on the Americas Cup. I'll assume for now that it will progress in the way these things normally do (i.e. nothing much will ever be heard about it again).

They've already said challengers can have only 1 boat while they are allowed 2.

[as an aside... she is very lovely isn't she!]

I'm sure they all are aware of what it'd cost.

Mind you paying £80 (and it is GBP, not USD) or double that is probably VFM to Red Bull if it means not losing Newey to another team. I am of course assuming that since Newey is still tied into RB and we know Newey would like to do the Americas Cup, Red Bull will be sponsoring the AC entry.

I think it's great news and they are rumoured to have some amazing ideas using regenerative energy to power the systems instead of all that grinding, think big spinning wheel, maybe it acts like a gyro to help counter heeling whilst providing power to the winches, no real clue yet, just rumours but very exciting and Ainslies the sort of bloke who'll attract more big money if he needs it.

They've already said challengers can have only 1 boat while they are allowed 2.

You can't really defend in one boat though, you'd get no 2 boat testing and if it breaks you're ****ed. Whereas there's always multiple challengers.

Personaly I'd like to see monohuls, maybe to a less perscriptive rule than the 12m or IACC, maybe a box rule with a sensible minimum hull weight and ballast ratio? The sort of thing that looks like a bigger version of what you can see going round the cans at any sailing club and might get people interested.

The foiling AC72's were impressive, but a bit of a freak show.

They've already said challengers can have only 1 boat while they are allowed 2.

The foiling AC72's were impressive[s], but a bit of a freak show.[/s]

I am of course assuming that since Newey is still tied into RB and we know Newey would like to do the Americas Cup, Red Bull will be sponsoring the AC entry.

It's a nice idea but wouldn't RB want it to be an Austrian entry? They certainly do in F1 where the team is based in MK but race under the Austrian flag. They changed it a few years after the took over the old Jaguar team.

Possibly - British/Austrian entry?

Red Bull are not going to put £80m / $130m into sailing. They have an Extreme 40 team, that costs about $3m-$5m pa

@sharkbait - 20% of the hull is quite a lot and it's the foils and wing which matter in these boats. I wasn't saying the defender should have one boat but the challengers should be allowed 2.

@rossatease - spinnging wheels ? Issue is you don't want any drag, whether that's aero or hydro. In the F1 they can use breaking forces, these don't really exist in sailing in the same way even at the "bottom corners". I think Newry can bring a lot of ideas/experience to the wing, foils and aero dynamics/drag reduction of the boat.

20% of the hull is quite a lot and it's the foils and wing which matter in these boats.

I raced in the first two televised Ultra 30 series, and although they were fun and fairly fast for a monohull, they were just not bonkers enough to make it nowadays.

Yea................but foiling ultra 60's, like a 10 man moth on 'roids?

Red Bull are not going to put £80m / $130m into sailing. They have an Extreme 40 team, that costs about $3m-$5m pa

True, but the Extream 40's aren't foilers and no one outside of sailing has heard of them. The GC32 is a foiler, but probably even fewer people have heard of them.

That and to an extent I think Red Bull could bring an audience with them to the AC. No one outside of IT (or maybe following AC racing) knows who Oracle are and I've no idea who or what Camper are. Whereas Red Bull have a history of getting niche sports onto mainstream TV.

Foils:

Each Competitor may build, acquire or otherwise obtain:
(i) a maximum combined total of six (6) one-piece Daggerboards
or Daggerboard upper sections; and
(ii) a maximum of twelve (12) Daggerboard lower sections. This
maximum is reduced by one (1) section for every one-piece
daggerboard that is counted in the limit permitted in Article
35.10(a)(i).

Yea................but foiling ultra 60's, like a 10 man moth on 'roids

Meh! Actually they wouldn't be quick enough - the stability of the cat means they can foil earlier and for longer. This would also mean less strain and less breakages.

Meh! Actually they wouldn't be quick enough - the stability of the cat means they can foil earlier and for longer. This would also mean less strain and less breakages.

Yea, but tell a non-sailor they're doing 40mph and they're not going to be impresed are they? Whether the speeds are 12 knots or 40 knots is irelavent, it's still only half the speed of a Nissan Micra. Asside from a few impressive photos and stat's the cat's are neither impressive to the public, nice to look at or that exciting to watch.

Grrrr, you lot chatting whilst I'm bloody working, grrrrr 😆

Portsmouth City Council is reportedly offering BAR £3m of taxpayers money to set up there.

Asside from a few impressive photos and stat's the cat's are neither impressive to the public, nice to look at or that exciting to watch.

I worked in design in the americas cup a few years ago

80 million might get him a poke in the eye

@sharkbait - yup me too. I thought cats would be a boring drag race and the LV cup was but the final was just wow. There is no way you'd go back now.

@thisisnotaspoon - Oracle's involvement is in no way commercial, its about Ellison wanting to win the cup back for the US of A. Bertarelli didn't even bother with corporate branding he just used his private sailing team name. LE's boats where always called Sayonara which is a cool racing boat name, would work well for the AC

It's great Sir Ben is trying to do this and for the Duchess to get involved.

*Sigh*, it's not like it used to be...

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