America's Cup

[Officer of Engineers]

I said laymans terms not math gobblygook stuff. My brain is too tired to think hard

Gentlemen, we have lost Hitesh to the Dark Side. He has no doubt became a lawyer. He is arguing against Newton's Laws.

[tbm3fan]

It seems counterintuitive that in order to go faster the sail must be close as possible to being parallel with the wind. How does a boat travel faster than the wind? I need a layman's answer not technical gobblygook. My brain is tired from thinking too much on law stuff.

How Do These Boats Sail Faster Than the Wind? | Science | KQED Public Media for Northern CA

http://www.aip.org/dbis/stories/2007/17133.html

[Blademaster]

Thanks for the primer. Now I get the concept and can utilize the equations given.

[Parihaka]

Unbelievable scenes, at least it would be if I wasn't such a cynic. Oracle have now won seven races in a row, it's 8 all and the NZ boat has gone slower and slower in every race for the conditions. Oi vey.

[tbm3fan]

Damn. I'm torn like everyone else around here. Yea, USA, boooo Larry.

This is Larry:Larry Ellison blows off Oracle OpenWorld crowd to watch America’s Cup | The Technology Chronicles | an SFGate.com blog

[bonehead]

Unbelievable scenes, at least it would be if I wasn't such a cynic. Oracle have now won seven races in a row, it's 8 all and the NZ boat has gone slower and slower in every race for the conditions. Oi vey.

The whole thing smells fishy to me. I hope they are not fixing the races to keep interest up.

[bonehead]

Wow. No one makes that kind of a comeback in racing....until now. Oracle pulls away for the big win. I feel sorry for the kiwis. So close...so very close but they walk away empty handed. I really want to know what happened to their boat. Different tactics? physical change? Did Oracle slip and anchor to it?

[Parihaka]

Wow. No one makes that kind of a comeback in racing....until now. Oracle pulls away for the big win. I feel sorry for the kiwis. So close...so very close but they walk away empty handed. I really want to know what happened to their boat. Different tactics? physical change? Did Oracle slip and anchor to it?

The word from the NZ Oracle boat designers is they incorporated a computer control system on the hydraulics to balance the boat, eliminating manual control of the foils, rudders etc. It could react much faster than the human controlled system and keep the boat foiling for much longer up wind

[desertswo]

The word from the NZ Oracle boat designers is they incorporated a computer control system on the hydraulics to balance the boat, eliminating manual control of the foils, rudders etc. It could react much faster than the human controlled system and keep the boat foiling for much longer up wind

You know, I used to give a shit about the America's Cup, having lived most of my life in either San Diego or Newport, Rhode Island, it was kind of hard not to. However, with each successive challenge the technology has come to dominate things in my view, rather than real skill at seamanship; the computer system you mention being yet another example. Why don't we take the man out of the equation altogether?

[bonehead]

The word from the NZ Oracle boat designers is they incorporated a computer control system on the hydraulics to balance the boat, eliminating manual control of the foils, rudders etc. It could react much faster than the human controlled system and keep the boat foiling for much longer up wind

That doesn't explain why the Kiwis were running slower than at the start of the competition.

[bonehead]

You know, I used to give a shit about the America's Cup, having lived most of my life in either San Diego or Newport, Rhode Island, it was kind of hard not to. However, with each successive challenge the technology has come to dominate things in my view, rather than real skill at seamanship; the computer system you mention being yet another example. Why don't we take the man out of the equation altogether?

It does look like the drones are on the way. It will be a sad day when "sailers" are actually pimple faced teenage gamers in their parents basement.

[Parihaka]

That doesn't explain why the Kiwis were running slower than at the start of the competition.

No indeed it doesn't but I don't get to voice that view here in NZ as it seems to be treason to suggest they may have been paid to throw the series. The other piece of gossip, and I stress gossip, I have been privy to was the day before the kiwi boat lost the first of eight straight the team headquarters in Auckland received a visit from some of the top managers and lawyers from Oracle the company. Guess well just have to see where the funding comes from if what was Team New Zealand mounts another challenge.

[Parihaka]

You know, I used to give a shit about the America's Cup, having lived most of my life in either San Diego or Newport, Rhode Island, it was kind of hard not to. However, with each successive challenge the technology has come to dominate things in my view, rather than real skill at seamanship; the computer system you mention being yet another example. Why don't we take the man out of the equation altogether?

That does seem to be the logical outcome of the current path.

[bonehead]

No indeed it doesn't but I don't get to voice that view here in NZ as it seems to be treason to suggest they may have been paid to throw the series. The other piece of gossip, and I stress gossip, I have been privy to was the day before the kiwi boat lost the first of eight straight the team headquarters in Auckland received a visit from some of the top managers and lawyers from Oracle the company. Guess well just have to see where the funding comes from if what was Team New Zealand mounts another challenge.

It is possible they made some minor tweaks that didn't pan out. It just seems so very odd to be so dominate in the beginning then lose so many times in a row when only a single victory would have brought home the trophy.

[Bigfella]

No indeed it doesn't but I don't get to voice that view here in NZ as it seems to be treason to suggest they may have been paid to throw the series. The other piece of gossip, and I stress gossip, I have been privy to was the day before the kiwi boat lost the first of eight straight the team headquarters in Auckland received a visit from some of the top managers and lawyers from Oracle the company. Guess well just have to see where the funding comes from if what was Team New Zealand mounts another challenge.

Clearly the big mistake was appointing Jana Novotna, Greg Norman & Billy Buckner as team psychologists. When given the choice between conspiracy & 'one of the worst chokes in sporting history', always go for the choke. NZ losing & an Aussie skippering the US boat finally got this story into the news here. I could pretend we are all gutted in solidarity with our trans-Tasman cousins.....but Pari wouldn't believe me.

Think of it this way Pari, if you'd won the whole series would have been forgotten in a few years. This way it will live on forever.