the fact that they were using a smaller jib than either of the other boats – this means they’ve got more power to come when they need it.

or could it be they had to use a smaller jib cos they would be “overpowered” by a bigger one and less in control? Obviously I know very little* about sailing a 75ft foiling monohull 🙂

* nothing

The smaller jib thing, everything is a trade off, bigger sails is more power but more drag so maybe slower overall. So they test and test and for each windspeed they will have a preferred option. So maybe ours in that windspeed is less sail area for faster boat speed/vmg. These boats are about as complex as we know how to make a boat, no longer a waterline length wins argument. Hopefully many more days like that however…

Youtube

The smaller jib thing, everything is a trade off, bigger sails is more power but more drag so maybe slower overall. So they test and test and for each windspeed they will have a preferred option. So maybe ours in that windspeed is less sail area for faster boat speed/vmg. These boats are about as complex as we know how to make a boat, no longer a waterline length wins argument. Hopefully many more days like that however…

Interesting thing with the F1 connection. The way they work now is they gather data in Friday practice sessions, send that data back to HQ and run simulators overnight to decide on car setup, tyre strategies, etc. They have to deal with problems like tyres that are too fragile to last for even a single flat out lap, so they have to model how hard to push through different sections of their qualifying laps, plus predicting track temperatures. The Friday practice times are a pretty poor guide to Saturday qualifying and Sunday race pace.

With AC boats, being able to model ideal boat setup for different weather conditions would be analogous. How you go in practice races doesn’t matter, all you’re doing is gathering data for when it matters. It could be that the results were just getting lucky with conditions that suited the boat, but it’s very reminiscent of Lewis Hamilton often looking off the pace on Friday, but nailing it when it counts. I guess we’ll know for sure in a few weeks.

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

That take-off in front of the spectators on the last leg was impressive!

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.

Well, that’s probably a fatal setback for the Americans. Hope the Cup is decided by boats getting wrecked in crashes.

Did you mean isn’t?

Oops, yes. Hope it isn’t decided by crashes.

I’m not sure Ineos were lucky in the first, they’d just taken the lead with 2 laps to go.

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

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.

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.

Don’t they have a spare boat too?

Did the foil leg collapse on landing? Is that what caused the hole?

They should rename it the Donald Trump!

Seems to be mirroring his recent disasters!

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.