Americas Cup

[Porsche Monkey]

So what's this court thingy about?

To determine if training wheels are acceptable in a cup race. 

[Popeye the Sailor]

To determine if training wheels are acceptable in a cup race. 

Statler wants to race? 

[Porsche Monkey]

Statler wants to race? 

Apparently so. Somebody needs to tell him sailing is not as much fun when its done professionally.

[Popeye the Sailor]

Apparently so. Somebody needs to tell him sailing is not as much fun when its done professionally.

Nothing is-that's why I quit porn.

[derby]

So what's this court thingy about?

http://www.freep.com/article/20090719/SPORTS10/90719025/1058/N.Y.-court-to-rule-on-rules-for-America-s-Cup-challenge

[ducpainter]

http://www.freep.com/article/20090719/SPORTS10/90719025/1058/N.Y.-court-to-rule-on-rules-for-America-s-Cup-challenge

Dammit Chris...

I got IZ_ eyed reading that.

[Speeddog]

That article assumed a 'base of knowledge' in Americas Cup that I don't have. 
Anybody got the cliff notes version?

Hope the dispute gets resolved in a fair manner.

Sounds like those boats are right on the ragged edge of durability.

~100' ft cat and tri, that's enormous.
I've seen a tri a little less than half that size get built, and it was huge.

[Popeye the Sailor]

That article assumed a 'base of knowledge' in Americas Cup that I don't have. 
Anybody got the cliff notes version?

+1. All I saw was a bunch of whining about changing rules, which apparently one guy makes up?

[Speeddog]

I'm wondering if Bernie, Max, or the DMG was involved in it?



Seems as long as you had a good pile of cash, it'd be like bringing a gun to a knife-fight if you could make up the rules at the last minute. 

[Statler]

I'm wondering if Bernie, Max, or the DMG was involved in it?



Seems as long as you had a good pile of cash, it'd be like bringing a gun to a knife-fight if you could make up the rules at the last minute. 

That was the problem.


AC has allways favored the defender, but this was pushing the limits a bit.   The current fight was about the defender saying the challenger had to provied them with the registration of their challenger yacht already, which would lock them into that design spec, length, etc.  (although they are locked into 90x90 everything else is free game and there are waterline length issues etc.etc.etc.)

The challenger is saying without the rules and venue we cannot provide that, and that the giant trimaran is not USA1 but just test platform for boat to be built once rules are known.

The rule thing is a big one...as defender launched a boat that has hydraulic power for winches and water ballast.    These have previously been not allowed.   So challenger says they need to know if allowed or not so they can build appropriate boat.

No written ruling, but nobody going to be held in contempt.  Looks from verbal ruling at bench that defender allowed to change rules to allow hydraulics, but that they're in deep shit if they then try to disqualify challenger for same thing with last minute rule shenanigans.    challenger can give specs for boat whenever they're done so no order to do so now.

The Deed of Gift history for the AC is intersting, but it reads worse than the briefs filed recently, which were pretty free of legaleze.

[herm]

spoiled children...
they should be made to use lasers sunfish until they learn to play nice.

[Porsche Monkey]

spoiled children...
they should be made to use lasers sunfish until they learn to play nice.

The local lake down here has a very competitive sunfish fleet.  Some of my best racing was in a borrowed sunfish. Too bad the laser fleet never caught on. Still have my laser.

[GAAN]

Shit like that is why restrictor plates and bracket racing came to be

in the end

competition takes all the fun out of competition

[Statler]

It's called 'one design' racing and it's very popular.   Fleets of boats all build the same.  First one to the finish line wins and they all start together.   Different than the AC, which is now intentionally a design challenge.

fleets of different boats get handicapped and handicapped racing can be fun too.  You may beat me on the course, but you may owe me a certain number of seconds per mile, so I may correct out to win.

match racing, like the AC, is most interesting as one design, as the boats are the same.  The tactics are different as there's only one other boat to beat so getting them to be penalized and exercising right of way to push them past the proper course come into play.   I think in this Americas Cup there will be bigger speed differences between the boats so the racing itself will be exciting only because of the incredible machines....not because of the closeness.  (the cup where Stars and Stripes was a cat was not exactly good racing but it was a cool race none the less).


Race should be in February absent Court drama.

[Kopfjäger]

Race should be in February absent Court drama.

Where will it be held this year?