Aquarius Sail Owners

Well, we're four races in and I'm enjoying the hell out of it! The tactics are still there, the maneuvers are still there and the speed is incredible. I think Spithill is done playing catch up but Barker isn't going to let up. I'm looking forward to a tight match. It will be a treat after watching New Zealand practice on the Italians.

It is exciting!

Awesome stuff, badass boats, great sailing, great video, onboard audio and video............ two prizefighters going toe to toe at the helm, reminds me of Ali and Frazier!

They really are doing a great job with the camera work on the TV coverage. The commentary is better than I expected. I was worried that NBC would do to the Cup what they did to the Olympics.

The show is very good but the US boat seems to be slow. The US boat starts to leeward and behind. I don't know where that tactic came from but it is not working to the favor of the US boat. The US boat gets a start in second place and then falls further behind as the race progresses. The New Zealand team has better boat handling. Three months without a boat is hurting the US team.

Got a chance to watch the replay of Race 4, Oracle won the start and held the lead throughout. Proving that they can stay out front is a big boost to the confidence of the Oracle boat. Spithill now knows he has enough raw speed to hang onto a lead, the starts should get interesting. If Oracle can roll over Emirates on the heavy air windward legs, it's game over.

Windspeed may be the determinant factor, seems the boats are tuned for slightly different wind velocities. Tweaking the boat will cost either team a race if they don't dial it in perfect before the start. Each boat can call a 'time out' if they don't like the 'feel' at the start for any reason. This rule could come into play near the end of the regatta if the score is close.

The 'head games' are just beginning.

Go Emirate Kiwis.
Beat Larry's Aussies!!


franklin Viola

Today, Thursday, we saw two more verses of the same song. The score now is 6 to 1. Any Questions?? The pitchpole three months ago did us in.

"But it was Leg 3, the upwind leg, that changed fortunes for the Americans.

New Zealand split off toward Alcatraz, where there was less current, and while Oracle Team USA was able to stay ahead at a couple of crossing points, New Zealand eventually crossed ahead with Barker's aggressive head-on move.

Again and again, the Kiwis forced Oracle to tack -- a basic sailing maneuver the Americans have yet to master. By the third mark, the Kiwis were ahead by 200 meters and 42 seconds and never looked back."

ref: http://www.mercurynews.com/sports/ci_24 ... ins-race-6

If some of the finest sailors on the planet cannot "tack", then it has to be "THE" boat, as well as lack of "Practice".
Hopefully the Kiwi's will go back to a challenge that allows for More campaigns* and smaller cats like the 45's.
*The word 'syndicate' always sounded like the NY Yacht Club was run by "the mob" ...

Last, might anyone know what kind of Green Card is required to work as a maritime mercenary for the USofA?

franklin VIOLA

I don't know that I agree that the pitchpole that happened so many months ago is effecting them now, except in loss of practice time.
I think that after the Artimus accident they started to develop something that the boats needed. Maybe I'm wrong. It's a shame that it was protested and later ruled illegal. I also think that the severe penalty just before the races started might have thrown them a bit and at this point they are scrambling to find a new trick that obviously New Zealand has mastered. Whatever the case, I hope they can turn it around or atleast get one more good win.

Now Franklin, you have the right to your opinion as far as the Kiwis, but as for me, I'm a proud American (not a redneck!) and I have to root for the home team, even if they did hire outside help.

The lost practice/development time is exactly what I am talking about!

I understand and agree with that, but what I was saying is that they got used to one set up and then had to learn how to sail without it as the races were taking place

I would also agree about needing more practice time. There is another factor that the commentator mentioned during race 6. He described the Kiwi boat as having fuller rounder hulls, helping them to be more buoyant and be able to turn faster when the hulls are in the water. Sounds like our boats. So, going down wind or when the wind is stronger we stand a better chance if Oracle can remain on its foils.

They pointed out yesterday that the Kiwis had a self-tacking jib which might be helping them tack. It has to be helping them upwind, but they take a hit downwind when Oracle's big, overlapping jib takes over.

In reference to ENTZ's self-tacking jib I came across this quote by one of the commentators yesterday: "We don't yet have these self tacking setups on modern boats"...

So does anyone know what model the self-tacking jib first appeared on the ARC product line.... and bonus question does anyone know what year that was?