Americas Cup 2017

mrgybe · Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Posts: 5180

If you haven't been following the Americas Cup, it is well worth a look (on NBC Sports Network, and sometimes on their app.) It's on the Great Sound in Bermuda which I have sailed and windsurfed many times and is an excellent venue for this event. They are sailing 15 metre foiling cats which have been reaching 45 knots plus, routinely achieving high speed foiling tacks and jibes, and are incredibly twitchy to sail. Its exciting stuff; the camera coverage is the best I've seen for a regatta. Interestingly, the sailing was cancelled yesterday due to high winds, but as the commentators were filling time, they were showing aerial shots of the Sound, and, lo and behold, a windsurfer! When the others are heading in, we are heading out!

nw30 · Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 11:31 am Post subject:

The pitch pole by the Kiwis the other day was impressive, but us windsurfers can do that also. Late take-off on a wave, stick the nose of the board at the bottom of the drop-in, pearling, come back up and hope your mast is still in one piece. When I first saw it, I was thinking to myself, "I can do that".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivs_KM1PwBo

dmilovich · Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 99

Fun to watch the videos. Hot boats, scary fast.

But as a father of a windsurfing daughter (and with a wsing partner), I gotta ask - why are there no women on any team? (sigh)

dllee · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 5329 Location: East Bay

Watched a bit when it was in San Francisco.
America's Cup is held for winds BELOW 25 knots, so high wind sailing is out.
The little practice boats are fun and nice, but nothing compared to the real thing.

grantmac017 · Joined: 04 Aug 2016 Posts: 946

dmilovich · Joined: 19 Jul 2009 Posts: 99

@grantmac

Yup, I know that's the present situation. The key word is "mandated". The rules should include a requirement that the crew be 50/50 male female. Why no one, particularly the sponsors, has stepped up to encourage that is beyond me. The boats won't go any slower, the races may just get a lot more audience. And even better, in 10-15 years, there may be more women sailors of all kinds.

d0uglass · Posted: Fri Jun 09, 2017 1:59 pm Post subject:

Ya, I agree it would be cool to see coed teams in the Americas Cup. Also would show that the giant wealthy corporations that sponsor the boats place some value on gender cooperation and equality.

In the Devil's Isle Challenge this spring (brutal 30 mile sup race around most of Bermuda) the women's world champion sup racer Annabelle Anderson (a Kiwi) took the overall title about 15 minutes ahead of AC skipper Jimmy Spithill and some pro level male sup racers. I think that shows something about how women can kick ass if given the opportunity.

grantmac017 · Joined: 04 Aug 2016 Posts: 946

Very few of the crew are actually sailors though. They come from other, more muscle driven sport.

If you mandated 50/50 crews they would need to slow the boats down to reduce the power needed. Generating the hydraulic power needed to run the wing sail and winches is a massive effort.

justall · Joined: 30 Jul 2007 Posts: 442

DanWeiss · Joined: 24 Jun 2008 Posts: 2296 Location: Connecticut, USA