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Another America�s Cup entry destroyed

38K views 386 replies 55 participants last post by  shadowraiths 
#1 ·
#244 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

Minnie- Good points regarding football players but I don't think you can fully connect the dots in the argument; especially when you say the owners of the AC boats are free to develop these boats to be as dangerous as possible. Don't jump on me for paraphrasing but you can't possibly believe that anyone is trying to ignore the safety of these crafts. WTF are the millions of dollars for? It's not for the paint job. It's for the lightest and STRONGEST building materials that are currently feasible to use and the research to ensure, to the best of their abilities, that those materials are assembled properly and in a fashion that makes sense given the purpose of the overall design.

Using your analogy means that football franchise owners are knowingly retarding helmet, pad and cup design as well as the rules in order to line their pockets. I don't think that is the case.
 
#245 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

The football analogy only applies as I offered it. Only to the mentality of the players. You can't extend the analogy to a point that I didn't make.

You also can't stretch the accusation to say I was suggesting the AC owners/designers completely ignored safety.

My point has and continues to be that they have made these craft more dangerous, while other sports strive to make their next gen equipment less dangerous and more capable at the same time. Following that fact, I do not believe the crews have any choice but to accept that increased danger, even if they or their loved ones would prefer not to.
 
#254 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

The football analogy only applies as I offered it. Only to the mentality of the players. You can't extend the analogy to a point that I didn't make.

You also can't stretch the accusation to say I was suggesting the AC owners/designers completely ignored safety.

My point has and continues to be that they have made these craft more dangerous, while other sports strive to make their next gen equipment less dangerous and more capable at the same time. Following that fact, I do not believe the crews have any choice but to accept that increased danger, even if they or their loved ones would prefer not to.
So- someone else said it- what I was getting at bug couldn't quite convey - boats that fall apart and kill people don't win. None of these teams want to lose, therefore they designed boats to be as safe as possible. Anyway- I do think its worth noting that every generation of equipment is designed to be an improvement over the previous iterations perceived shortcomings. That means many things- but the part to focus on is that performance is why drives innovation and development in the field- not safety. So If an improvement in performance can be complimented by improved safety- it is, if that can't be accomplished- the modifications are made to improve the performance- relying on previous safety measures to remain adequate until such time as performance upgrades or whatever are called for.
 
#249 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

jephotog- OMG- ????how do you train to do that for the first time?????

As regards AC-please realize if the boats break and people die as the owner you are out a whole lot of money and you lose the race. To say they are not concerned is to say regardless of whether they are unfeeling toward crew ( which I doubt) they are stupid ( which I highly doubt).
 
#253 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

The American Cup Races should go back to the "J" boats or even the schooner that the race is named after.

Remember this is food for thoughts. But think about it.
 
#255 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

The American Cup Races should go back to the "J" boats or even the schooner that the race is named after.

Remember this is food for thoughts. But think about it.
He He, that boat is so easy, I mean the America schooner, that I was the captain of a replica for half an hour while doing my unlimited Captain's examination. I put it sailing downwind butterfly style with opposed sails. Got the sailors scared because they didn't know if I knew what I was doing:D

I wish I could sail the AC72 as easily as the America replica but I am afraid that is just for top sailors. The AC cup should not only be raced in the fastest boats but also in boats that demand the best sailors to be sailed, otherwise what would be the point?: The Ac would only be another sailboat race and not the fastest sailboat race and that's the spirit of it.

Regards

Paulo
 
#258 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

A thing to consider is that we want the cup to go the team with the best designed boat crewed by the best sailors, not to the team most willing to endanger the lives of their crew.

Racers will accept a much higher level of risk that the rest of us are comfortable with. That is part of what makes them racers.

A few years ago there was a CART race scheduled for the Texas Speedway, a course designed for slower NASCAR races. The highly banked corners allowed the CART cars to run full out all the way around the track, meaning they were pulling over 5 Gs for a lot of the course.

Every one of the drivers did a series of test laps. So every one of the drivers knew that they were nearing blackout, losing all peripheral vision and becoming disoriented. And they were all willing to race like that.

It was only when a doctor noticed that one of the drivers wasn't able to walk in a straight line for quite a while after his test laps that they started interviewing other drivers and learned of the danger.

The governing body decided this was a level of risk they could not take, and canceled the race just hours before race time. It cost them tens of millions.

The racers were willing to take the risk, they would have gladly driven into that bloodbath. And the winner wouldn't have been the best driver, the winner would have been the one lucky enough to not black out at the wrong time or to get hit by someone else who blacked out at the wrong time.

It wouldn't have been a contest of skill, it would have been televised Russian Roulette.

If it is the case that the Artemis boat broke up before it crashed, and if it is the case that this structural weakness is endemic to these boats, then we're basically watching a dice game, not a game of skill. You roll snake eyes and your boat cracks up. Next roller step up to the table, please.
 
#263 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

A thing to consider is that we want the cup to go the team with the best designed boat crewed by the best sailors, not to the team most willing to endanger the lives of their crew.

Racers will accept a much higher level of risk that the rest of us are comfortable with. That is part of what makes them racers.

A few years ago there was a CART race scheduled for the Texas Speedway, a course designed for slower NASCAR races. The highly banked corners allowed the CART cars to run full out all the way around the track, meaning they were pulling over 5 Gs for a lot of the course.

Every one of the drivers did a series of test laps. So every one of the drivers knew that they were nearing blackout, losing all peripheral vision and becoming disoriented. And they were all willing to race like that.

It was only when a doctor noticed that one of the drivers wasn't able to walk in a straight line for quite a while after his test laps that they started interviewing other drivers and learned of the danger.

The governing body decided this was a level of risk they could not take, and canceled the race just hours before race time. It cost them tens of millions.

The racers were willing to take the risk, they would have gladly driven into that bloodbath. And the winner wouldn't have been the best driver, the winner would have been the one lucky enough to not black out at the wrong time or to get hit by someone else who blacked out at the wrong time.

It wouldn't have been a contest of skill, it would have been televised Russian Roulette.

If it is the case that the Artemis boat broke up before it crashed, and if it is the case that this structural weakness is endemic to these boats, then we're basically watching a dice game, not a game of skill. You roll snake eyes and your boat cracks up. Next roller step up to the table, please.
It can not be endemic to "these boats" because each of the boats is designed and built separately. They all will have different strengths and weaknesses depending on the design/build teams input.
 
#259 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

Minnesail you're right on that is what racing is all about, push it to the end of the ability. If it is running, driving, or sailing, biking, F-1, WCR, and so on. Push man and machine to the limit in order to win.
 
#262 · (Edited)
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

IMHP the most compelling cup was the one we lost to the wing keel and the huge interest in its unveiling after the event

You certainly had a HUGE field trying to get into the game at that point in time and for a good while after VS the 3-1/2 we have right now

Nascar is how it is on propose as they already have issues with the car cost going beyond what sponsors can support

During testing they do full on car telemetry and the problem is still the cost of turning that into useful information
 
#265 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

serra great heese, we eat parmeseano arergiano too as well as the blue cheese aged by the monks in the caves. There are some pretty outstanding bries in France. Actually.

Your point about F1 is well taken.

Dave

QUOTE=PCP;1031848]Dave I am not trying to change American tastes and I believe the reason they will not like AC is because AC has a lot of common with F1 and nothing to do with Nascar: The faster sailboats, the faster cars, the most technological advanced sailboats, the most technological cars, the most expensive race sailboats, the most expensive race cars, the most world wide top race sailboat series, the most world wide top race cars series, the biggest budget race sailboat series, the biggest budget race cars series....and has you say, AC72, like the F1 "they drive cars (or sailboats) which look nothing like what the general public drives"

Regarding the technological differences in a car they can be measured by the lateral forces the car can sustain while breaking on curving (grip). A Nascar racing car can generate 2G forces, a F1 more than the double, 5G. Technology can also be measured in the engines, regarding the horsepower produced by a given size of engine. Th F1 and the Nascar have about the same power, 750hp, both are naturally aspirated but the F1 engine is more than 2 times smaller than the Nascar engine (2400cc to 5780cc) and that contributes to very different weights on the cars, the F1 weights almost 1/3 than a Nascar car and that makes it much faster.

A good way to measure technological sophistication is money invested in each car: A Nascar car costs $1.5 Million, a F1 $7.0 million or the team bubget: The 20 top time budget, Nascar- 6.5 million, F1 - 325.0 million.

You can get a good idea of the difference in technological sophistication just regarding both steering wheels:





Well, That one is a 4 year hold one, today they are more sophisticated but I guess you got the general picture.

Like the F1, the AC72 races are going to be pretty boring, if we look to the competition only. The chances are that a boat will be far more faster than another and it will win easily but like the F1 we don't like them just for the competition (that is much bigger on Nascar) but by the human and technological achievement and that is also what AC72 is about.

and Dave...the Brie is alright but it is a pretty cheap cheese, we like more sophisticated ones like Roquefort, Parmigiano Reggiano or Serra da Estrela;)

Regards

Paulo[/QUOTE]
 
#267 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

serra great heese, we eat parmeseano arergiano too as well as the blue cheese aged by the monks in the caves. There are some pretty outstanding bries in France. Actually.
I am surprised you know the cheese da serra. I thought we eat them all:D

I have been in the French caves and eat the cheese there. I found out they keep the best and export the other. If you go to France don't miss that. They do a salad with nuts and Roquefort that is something.

Back on topic:

After the tragic dead of the British sailor the German sailing federation had officially retired their team of kids from the Youth America's Cup.

Surprise:

The kids say that with or without official support they are going to race!!!!

"They want their dream and don't want to give up: After the official withdrawal of their team from the Youth America's Cup, the young German sailing team with skipper Philipp Buhl Sonthofen and Erik Heil from Berlin wants to achieve participation even without support.. ... ... "We want to try it ourselves," said the 23-year-old Laser European Champions Buhl, "we got a chance to participate in the America's Cup, and that may be a chance in a lifetime. We want to fight for it. We've come this far and want to go till the finish. We believe that sailing on the smaller catamarans is far less risky than the AC-72 boats. "

http://www.yacht.de/sport/news/im-alleingang-auf-cup-kurs/a80195.html

Regards

Paulo
 
#273 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

This appeared in the WALL STREET JOURNAL yesterday... Bruce Knecht has done a lot of writing about sailing and maritime subjects, his book THE PROVING GROUND is one of the best about the 1998 Sydney-Hobart disaster, it's a riveting read...

May 17, 2013, 6:33 p.m. ET

Larry Ellison's Dangerous America's Cup

The new boats have made the race life-threatening-and have dumbed down the sailing.

By G. BRUCE KNECHT

Last week, an Olympic gold medalist died in San Francisco Bay while training for America's Cup, the world's most famous sailing competition. British sailor Andrew Simpson's death is the latest evidence that the current competition is fundamentally flawed.

Billionaire Larry Ellison's ambitions for the America's Cup have always gone beyond winning, which he did in 2010 with his Team Oracle. The America's Cup winner determines the ground rules for the next competition, and Mr. Ellison created a new class of large but lightweight double-hulled vessels that are powered by solid "wing" sails. He hoped the supercharged catamarans would catapult the 162-year-old event into the modern age and transform it into a spectator sport fit for TV.

In terms of the hardware, Mr. Ellison has succeeded. When the wings and wind are properly aligned, the 72-foot boats-or AC72s, as they are known-literally lift out of the water, supported only by the foils on their daggerboards, the retractable keels that drop down from each of the hulls. The vessels skim across the water at speeds of close to 50 miles per hour.

In October, an AC72 built by Mr. Ellison's team, Oracle Team USA, flipped and was severely damaged. The wipeout came as a surprise to many-but not to the sailors. They already knew that AC72s are dangerous, overpowered beasts that are always skating on the edge of catastrophe.

This risk-plus the massive expense to design and build the boats-is why Mr. Ellison failed to deliver on his promise that more than a dozen teams would challenge Oracle for the cup this year. Only three signed up: Artemis Racing, representing Sweden; Luna Rossa Challenge, bankrolled by Patrizio Bertelli, the owner of Prada and a longtime sponsor of Italy's America's Cup campaigns; and Emirates Team New Zealand, the airline-backed national team.

The fatal accident came when one of Artemis Racing's bows dug into the water and structural elements disintegrated, causing the vessel to fold up on itself and capsize. Mr. Simpson, a 36-year-old married father of two, was trapped underneath.

Artemis has not determined whether it will press on with its campaign. Luna Rossa's Mr. Bertelli says he will leave it up to his crew. "If they told me to stop, that wouldn't be a problem for me," he told Yacht Capital, an Italian sailing magazine, last week. "This Cup with the AC72s is too extreme. They have to realize it and change, revise the rules, everything."

Having written about sailing for the last 15 years, I believe Mr. Bertelli is correct, and that Larry Ellison should rethink the guidelines for this year's race.

Mr. Ellison didn't become one of the world's richest men by holding back from challenges. When I interviewed him for my book about the deadly 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race, in which he sailed, he told me he believed the purpose of life is to engage in difficult competitions to determine how good we are.

But after the Hobart Race, during which six sailors died, Mr. Ellison said there had to be limits: "This is not what racing is supposed to be. Difficult, yes. Dangerous, no. Life-threatening, definitely not." Because of the Hobart Race, Mr. Ellison gave up ocean racing and turned to inshore sailing contests such as the America's Cup. "I decided to focus on a more technical and less life-threatening form of sailing," he told me in 2008.

Yet it is Mr. Ellison who has made the America's Cup dangerous. Until his involvement, beginning in 2000, winning was determined both by the intrinsic speeds of the boats and by tactical decisions about where each team positioned its vessel relative to the opposition throughout the race.

The AC72s are all about straight-line speed. They are so difficult, time-consuming and dangerous to turn that boat-to-boat tactics are less important than simply keeping the monsters under control. Consequently, the enhanced technological sophistication of the AC72s has had the effect of dumbing down the sailing, another reason for Mr. Ellison to reconsider.

The Cup, which is supposed to begin in September after an elimination round in July, would not have to be postponed. Since 2011, the contenders have been racing against each other in much safer 45-foot catamarans. The Cup could be sailed with them.

You're probably thinking that the headstrong Mr. Ellison will never agree to it. You are probably right. Then again, he understands that his legacy will be forever intertwined with the America's Cup. Not long before he became the first American to win it since 1995, I suggested to him that if he prevailed the first words of his obituary might be about sailing rather than his business achievements. He did not disagree. "Oracle could disappear someday," he said. "The America's Cup will not."

Indeed. The best way for Mr. Ellison to secure his position as the founder of the modern-day America's Cup would be to admit that the AC72s are a mistake.

Mr. Knecht is the author of "The Proving Ground: the Inside Story of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Race" (Little, Brown & Co., 2001).

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323582904578484962602072632.html
In addition, what I thought was a very good proposal from LATITUDE 38, written after the first capsize of ORACLE last October:

A Modest Proposal

October 17, 2012 - San Francisco Bay

It took yesterday's capsize - and recovery, such as it was - of the Oracle AC72 to make us fully appreciate just how gigantic and unwieldy these catamarans are. Actually, it wasn't the capsizing in 25 knots of wind that shocked us - at some point we all expected that to happen - but rather the video of the nine Oracle rescue boats struggling in vain to keep the askew monster from drifting a reported four miles outside the Gate on a strong ebb. "We're a little out of control here!" the video screamed at us.

Thank god nobody was seriously hurt or killed. Let us repeat that: Thank god nobody was seriously hurt or killed.

We were even more surprised by the fact that - while the capsized Oracle was still drifting out the Gate, and bits of her main were becoming souvenirs all over the Bay - it was announced that nothing has changed, and that the America's Cup 34 will continue as planned.

In the past, Oracle honcho Russell Coutts has seemed to confess that maybe they had gone a little too extreme with the parameters of the AC72s in an attempt to make the America's Cup competition more exciting. Ya think? As such, it crosses our minds that the capsize of the Oracle cat, and the total destruction of her main, might signal a perfect opportunity to take a week or so to digest what has happened, what it portends for the event as planned, and what possible alternatives there might be.

At this stage of the game, it would be extremely embarassing, very poor form, and create an uproar if dramatic changes were made to the very fundamentals of the 34th America's Cup. On the other hand, would it not be even worse form and more humiliating if not even two of the 72s, and their mains, survived their trials for there to even be an America's Cup?

If we were Russell Coutts, and more importantly, Larry Ellison, we would take this opportunity to suggest an alternative to all interested stakeholders. The alternative is that the huge - as well as hugely expensive and hugely complicated AC72 cats - be scrapped as of right now. To make up for what the other teams have invested, Larry would purchase a MOD 70 trimaran for each of the teams that has participated so far. Given the much less expensive option, other syndicates might decide to jump in.



Despite having only soft sails, these brand new extremely high performance trimarans from VPVL have proven themselves, both when sailing across the Atlantic and in inshore races in Europe. We're talking over 700 miles in 24 hours in their first ocean race, and lots of mid-30s at other times. The MOD 70s are only two feet shorter than the AC72s, damn near as fast, and cost a fraction of the price. And having raced across the Atlantic at 30+ knots, have what it takes to race safely on San Francisco Bay.

Since the MOD 70s are one-designs with soft sails, they are compartively easy, quick and inexpensive to build - particularly when compared to the AC72s. And because the first batch was made in Europe, we're sure another dozen could be made in time for next year's slated World Series in Venice, Italy, in April and Naples, Italy, in May, and be already in Europe for those events. After the European World Series, they could be shipped to Newport, Rhode Island, and then San Francisco, for additional World Series events in the summer of '13. That means the America's Cup 34 would be postponed until '14, which is fine with us, as we think it's a much better prospect than what we're sailing toward now. And one last thing that we think every spectator would agree on - the America's Cup should be fleet racing, not match-racing, which is so last century.
 
#274 · (Edited)
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

Quote:
...." He hoped the supercharged catamarans would catapult the 162-year-old event into the modern age and transform it into a spectator sport fit for TV.

In terms of the hardware, Mr. Ellison has succeeded. When the wings and wind are properly aligned, the 72-foot boats-or AC72s, as they are known-literally lift out of the water, supported only by the foils on their daggerboards, the retractable keels that drop down from each of the hulls. The vessels skim across the water at speeds of close to 50 miles per hour."


I agree, they are really a beautiful thing to watch and to sail:



Quote:
... "British sailor Andrew Simpson's death is the latest evidence that the current competition is fundamentally flawed."

And why a solitary and only grave and fatal personal accident is evidence of that?

This accident was not even similar to the one with Oracle and It seems to me a double case of bad luck: the boat breaking without warning and collapsing in a way that trapped a sailor behind it.

The Hydroptere capsized at near 60K without any serious causalities, lots of capsizes with the smaller AC45, a capsize with the AC 72 and nobody hurt seriously. Why a bad luck dead is evidence of something except bad luck.

http://valenciasailing.blogspot.pt/2008/12/lhydroptre-capsizes-after-reaching.html

Racing is dangerous, racing with more speed is more dangerous but I don't see evidence that this racing is more dangerous than car racing or motorcycle racing at top level. Slow boat racing was less dangerous true, but what kind of racing sport is raced in slow machines when there are fast ones? who wants to race in slow boats? Who wants to see slow boats racing?

Quote:
"... The wipeout came as a surprise to many-but not to the sailors. They already knew that AC72s are dangerous, overpowered beasts that are always skating on the edge of catastrophe."


This is simply ridiculous. Here you have a practice race where you can see that the boats as far from being overpowered or at the edge of catastrophe and they are still learning how to sail those boats. Put it on full screen and enjoy:)

 
#275 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

Is it just me or does losing the foils tame the beast and sill leave a very, very fast boat? Bearing off is dangerous in any high powered, high speed sailboat. The foils seem to Make the boats erratic as they make maneuvers.
 
#277 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

I agree with Paulo - that was a stupid story. Way too hysterical.

The 72 is an incredible boat (watch that video!). They all just need more time to tame it a bit.
I'd give my eye tooth to get one way. They are cutting edge.
 
#278 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

Enjoy your AC 72's, for those that are all for them. I'll bet this is the last year they race in the AC with them. Frekin nuts to be on one of these things in 33 knots- that is almost 40 mph with a sail you cannot de-power- frekin nuts....

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/20/s...ght-after-death-of-sailor.html?pagewanted=all

Italian Team Seeks Change in America's Cup Wind Limits After Sailor's DeathBy CHRISTOPHER CLAREY
More than a week after the death of British sailor Andrew Simpson in a training accident, none of the four America's Cup teams have withdrawn from the competition, which is still scheduled to begin in early July in San Francisco.

Enlarge This Image

Stephen Lam/Reuters
Luna Rossa had been training on the water in its AC72 for more than 40 days in Auckland, New Zealand, before its arrival in San Francisco, said Francesco Longanesi Cattani, a spokesman for the team.
But the teams have made significant proposals for change, none more publicly than Luna Rossa Challenge, whose team principal, the Italian fashion mogul Patrizio Bertelli, made it clear on Friday that the team wanted lower wind limits for racing or it would consider not participating.

Bertelli's team then chose to ignore a general directive from the America's Cup review committee not to sail until Wednesday, deploying its one and only AC72 yacht on Saturday for its first full on-water training session in San Francisco Bay.

"Psychologically for the team, it was important to go out sailing in order to restart and focus on our end," said Francesco Longanesi Cattani, a spokesman for the team, in an interview Sunday. "It was also an opportunity in ideal conditions to test the boat after she had arrived here."

Longanesi said Luna Rossa had been training on the water in its AC72 for more than 40 days in Auckland, New Zealand, before its arrival in San Francisco.

Though America's Cup officials have expressed disappointment in the decision, there will apparently be no disciplinary repercussions with Tom Ehman, vice commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, who called the review committee directive a recommendation.

"It's not a hard and fast requirement, at least not at this stage," Ehman said by telephone.

Consensus remains elusive at this tense, uncertain stage. The San Francisco Police Department is investigating the death of Simpson, a two-time Olympic medalist, who was trapped under the wreckage of Team Artemis's AC72 after it capsized in San Francisco Bay on May 9.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported last week that Oracle Team USA, the American team that will defend the Cup, is changing the black skin on its wing sail to a transparent film to make it easier to see and thus find a crew member if one were to end up in the water after an accident.

"Andrew was apparently trapped under debris, and they couldn't see him," Ehman said. "Should the bottom section of the wing be clear? Should the trampolines be clear? The experts are all working on this sort of stuff."

Artemis has communicated little publicly since the accident. The AC72 boat it intended to sail in San Francisco was not scheduled to arrive until later this month.

"I know Artemis is also respecting the process, and they have not pulled out of the competition," Ehman said. "That's certainly one of the things they are considering, but there's no indication at this point of that from any of the teams. And Patrizio Bertelli, in fact, gave quite a strong endorsement for pressing on."

Bertelli, chief executive of Prada and a longtime challenger for the Cup, was more circumspect in Friday's news conference at the team's temporary base in Alameda, Calif., than he had been in interviews with the Italian news media earlier in the week.

Luna Rossa, for now, appears committed to competing in the AC72 yachts, the big, fast catamarans with wing sails that represent a new age for the America's Cup, which began in 1851 and has traditionally been contested in much slower monohull yachts with soft sails.

"In order for a boat to be safe, the crew must feel safe, and they need to trust their boat; this is primordial," Bertelli said. "I have asked our sailors if they trust the boat, and our sailors have told me they do trust the boat and that they can sail on it. Obviously, we are going to look at technology and any tools that can help us to be safer. Also it's very important to reduce the wind limits to around what we ask and to race as per the protocol and the class rule.

"We will not tolerate the bending of the rules using as an excuse the latest fatality, and we will respect the rules of the protocol and the class rule as they have been approved. We are absolutely in favor of discussing with all the other teams to try to find common solutions to the problems we face, but we will not accept any imposition."

The existing rules in the protocol, the guiding document for this year's competition, call for racing to take place in winds of up to 25 knots for the early rounds of the challenger series, known as the Louis Vuitton Cup. Those limits are to be increased to 28 knots for the final of the Vuitton Cup and then to 33 knots for the America's Cup match in September, pitting the winner of the challenger series against Oracle Team USA, which is owned by the American billionaire Larry Ellison and represents Golden Gate Yacht Club.

Luna Rossa, which - unlike its competitors - has only one AC72, is asking for wind limits to be lowered to 20 knots for the entirety of the Vuitton Cup racing and then to 25 knots for the America's Cup, Bertelli said.

Ehman, who worked for Oracle in its successful challenge for the Cup in 2010, said he understood other teams were also pushing for changes in the wind limits.

"It wouldn't surprise any of us if that's a recommendation that comes out of this, and they get the winds down lower," Ehman said.

Races have regularly been postponed in previous Cups because of too much or too little wind. One of the objectives in setting them higher this time was to improve the sport's marketability and reach so television networks could count on a race taking place in its scheduled time slot.

"One of the things we all want to do is, at the appointed race hour, we want to be able to start," Ehman said, "because you're going to have tens of thousands of spectators and a television audience.

"However, safety has to come first."

In an interview in Alameda several days before the accident, Max Sirena, the skipper of Luna Rossa, explained his own comfort zone in an AC72 after his team's extensive training in its yacht in Auckland.

"Over 20 knots, it's a completely different game, I can tell you that," Sirena said. "For sure, you enjoy sailing these boats up to 18, 19 knots.

"Over 20, you start to be scared about the boat, because they are super powerful. Over 20 knots, you just cannot depower the boat as much as you want."
 
#280 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

Enjoy your AC 72's, for those that are all for them. I'll bet this is the last year they race in the AC with them. Frekin nuts to be on one of these things in 33 knots- that is almost 40 mph with a sail you cannot de-power- frekin nuts....
If the sail cannot be depowered enough they have to redesign the sail. It would be a bad precedent to change the rules and the protocol at the middle of an AC. I am not sure that can be done even if all agree. The rules were made by the one that had the right to do them. The boats were designed to perform according to those rules and in what regards wind they are:

"The existing rules in the protocol, the guiding document for this year's competition, call for racing to take place in winds of up to 25 knots for the early rounds of the challenger series, known as the Louis Vuitton Cup. Those limits are to be increased to 28 knots for the final of the Vuitton Cup and then to 33 knots for the America's Cup match in September,"

So if the boats cannot sail safely over 20k.... they have to make alterations on the boat and sail to make that possible and not change protocol.

Alterations cannot be directed. I mean they have a maximum sail size but they can make them small if they want. Of course that will give an advantage in light winds for the ones that will have a bigger sail...but for what I understood the conditions between 20K and 30K are pretty frequent in S Francisco bay and it will be of no use winning some races to have the boat capsized on another.

Probably there will be a way to modify the sail to allow it to be depowered, some movable parts that can open or close letting pass the wind or catching it.

Regards

Paulo
 
#279 · (Edited)
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

I don't think sailing needs this type of spectator:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/11/s...-risks-enter-americas-cup.html?pagewanted=all

New Technology and Risks Enter a Venerable EventBy CHRISTOPHER CLAREY
Published: May 10, 2013

On a sun-kissed afternoon in the Bay Area last week, Larry Olson, a 39-year-old from San Francisco, backed his car into a parking space next to Marina Green, flipped up the hatch to create a viewing platform and watched with his young children as Artemis Racing's America's Cup catamaran sped by in the stiff breeze on San Francisco Bay.
"My daughter's preschool is near here, so we always come and sit and watch them practice," Olson said. "These are amazing boats, and we're kind of hoping they'll flip one. It happened once before. It's kind of like watching a Nascar race."

This is a new era in the America's Cup, with perhaps a new, larger audience. No one ever pulled up a chair with the realistic expectation that a 12-meter yacht might capsize.

But there is a dark side to the novelty: true and persistent danger. The sailors, even weathered veterans, have been genuinely on edge even as they embrace the new thrill of the new-age boats. And on Thursday the danger turned fatal in San Francisco Bay when Artemis's AC72 capsized while bearing away, or turning from the wind, during a training exercise.

One of Britain's leading sailors, the Olympic gold medalist Andrew Simpson, died after being trapped under the inverted catamaran, Cup officials said. The craft had broken into pieces, its huge wing sail lying flat on the water.

The question is whether the America's Cup, first contested in 1851, has gone too far in its high-technology hunt for modern-day relevance and market share.

"We know this is a risky boat, what happened to Artemis today could happen to us in the future," said Max Sirena, the skipper of the Italian challenger Luna Rossa.

Keith Mills, former owner of a British team that abandoned plans to participate in this Cup, told The Daily Telegraph on Friday that safety was a factor in his decision.

"Seeing what those boats were capable of, speeds of up to 40 knots, frightened the life out of me," he told The Telegraph. "The class rules looked like they were dangerous boats to sail. At 40 knots, the control is minimal. Hit a big wave and that is it."

On Friday, while members of the Artemis Team grieved in private and other teams took a respectful break from training, the fallout was still visible as Iain Murray, the craggy-faced veteran sailor and regatta director for the 34th America's Cup, fought to maintain his composure as he commented on Simpson's death.

"Let me start by saying that Andrew was a very good friend," Murray said, his voice breaking, at a news conference. "He has been one of those larger-than-life figures in our sport. It's hard to believe he's gone.

"It's fair to say Andrew was doing what he loved. It was his passion, and Andrew was used to doing everything in life at the fullest and to the highest level he could. This will not lessen the tragedy that has passed, and of course we need to look at what has happened and understand the consequences."

While the San Francisco Police Department conducts an inquiry into the fatal accident, Murray, a 55-year-old Australian, will lead the America's Cup internal investigation with support from the United States Coast Guard.

Though a bear-away move is tricky, Murray will try to determine what caused the catamaran to flip on what was apparently smooth water in relatively typical weather conditions for San Francisco Bay. He will also try to determine why Simpson was not located and recovered in time despite extensive safety precautions - on and off board the AC72 - that included scuba divers and support staff from both Artemis and Oracle Team USA, the America's Cup defenders who were training nearby.

"What went wrong yesterday was we lost the person," Murray said. "And that's what we need to find out: how you lose a person in a small boat with a lot of people looking."

Murray also will try to determine if these new and spectacular multihulls, capable of speeds exceeding 40 knots, are safe and stable enough in their existing form to allow the America's Cup preliminaries to go ahead as planned on July 5 with the challenger series known as the Vuitton Cup.

Stephen Barclay, chief executive officer of the America's Cup event authority, did not rule out significant changes, even cancellation.

"I have every expectation we will host a spectacular event here this summer," Barclay said. "But I'm not going to prejudge it. Iain will conduct his review, and we will see the outcome and recommendations of that."

Last Oct. 16, an AC72 owned by Oracle Team USA, the defender of the America's Cup, capsized during training in San Francisco Bay and was extensively damage, although the crew escaped with only minor injuries.

Lisa Ramsperger, a spokeswoman for Oracle Team USA, said the team had increased its safety training and revised its safety and recovery plan. Its sailors wear portable oxygen supplies, meant to be used if they are trapped underwater, and Murray indicated that members of the Artemis crew on Thursday, including Simpson, had similar equipment.

If true, something could have kept Simpson from getting access to that oxygen during the approximately 10 minutes that officials say he was trapped before rescue and medical crews were able to begin performing cardio pulmonary resuscitation on him, both on chase boats and on the dock of the St. Francis Yacht Club.

"It appears Bart was trapped under some of the solid sections of the yacht, out of view and out of sight to the myriad of people on board trying to locate him, including proper divers with apparatus," Murray said, using Simpson's nickname. "All the crews in these boats had been trained in underwater; they all carried oxygen and were meant to be prepared for the worse."

The British Olympian Iain Percy, the sailing team director and tactician for Artemis, was on board when the accident occurred. He and Simpson won a gold medal together in the Star class at the 2008 Olympics and a silver at the 2012 Games. Percy was one of the key reasons Simpson decided to join Artemis in February.

The psychological impact of Simpson's death could be far-reaching for Artemis. Murray said that Nathan Outteridge was steering the boat during Thursday's accident. Outteridge has been expected to be the main helmsman for Artemis in San Francisco.

Barclay said he had had no indication that Artemis intended to withdraw from the Cup. The team is awaiting delivery of its second AC72 next month: a yacht that has been redesigned to compete with other teams that have already launched boats capable of foiling - sailing with both hulls out of the water with the lift generated by angled hydrofoils attached to daggerboards.

"We're foiling on toothpicks essentially now," Paul Cayard, the chief executive of Artemis, said before the accident.

Foiling on the downwind legs is considered essential to success in this year's Cup, but Artemis's first AC72, the one now in ruins, did not have that capacity. Murray said that did not necessarily make it a less risky proposition to sail.

Asked if two capsizings and one death meant this class of boats was too dangerous, he answered by reeling off a series of fatalities in sailing over the years.

"I was involved in the Sydney-Hobart Race when six people died," he said of the 1998 race that was struck by a huge storm. "We have to live with these things, and we have to go forward in the best way we can."

Citing the technological progress in the sport's equipment, Murray said: "It's what these guys want to do. They want to take sailing to the next level, and these boats provide that platform."
 
#281 · (Edited)
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

Where did this concept that wing sails can't be de-powered come from? A sail generates lift (gets its power from the curvature of the outer surface) a wing sail has the ability to be flattened more than a traditional sail. Thats how they get a semi solid surface to function on both tacks. They have the ability to bend the wing in an indefinite number of positions adding more or less power, on each tack. that also gives them the ability to leave the wing virtually flat on both sides and effectively powerless.
 
#282 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

Where did this concept that wing sails can't be de-powered come from? A sail generates lift (gets its power from the curvature of the outer surface) a wing sail has the ability to be flattened more than a traditional sail. Thats how they get a semi solid surface to function on both tacks. They have the ability to bend the wing in an indefinite number of positions adding more or less power, on each tack. that also gives them the ability to leave the wing virtually flat on both sides and effectively powerless.
Quote:
In an interview in Alameda several days before the accident, Max Sirena, the skipper of Luna Rossa, explained his own comfort zone in an AC72 after his team's extensive training in its yacht in Auckland.

"Over 20 knots, it's a completely different game, I can tell you that," Sirena said. "For sure, you enjoy sailing these boats up to 18, 19 knots.

"Over 20, you start to be scared about the boat, because they are super powerful. Over 20 knots, you just cannot depower the boat as much as you want."

Regards

Paulo
 
#283 · (Edited)
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

Afternoon winds in "The Slot" (the clear air zone east of the Golden Gate Bridge between Angel Island and Treasure Island) are usually 25-35kts with higher gusts from early June to late September/October. This area has a daily afternoon SCA warning, which only gets dropped when the pressure difference decreases by lower inland temperatures. The pressure gradient formed between the hot inland valley and the coast creates a Venturi effect at The Gate.

I think it would be very difficult to find event days in July where the predicted wind is lower than 25kts. They could hold the race earlier in the day but the wind comes up quickly when it starts blowing so there is not much time between the light morning air and winds above 25kts.
 
#288 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

Afternoon winds in "The Slot" (the clear air zone east of the Golden Gate Bridge between Angel Island and Treasure Island) are usually 25-35kts with higher gusts from early June to late September/October. This area has a daily afternoon SCA warning, which only gets dropped when the pressure difference decreases by lower inland temperatures. The pressure gradient formed between the hot inland valley and the coast creates a Venturi effect at The Gate.

I think it would be very difficult to find event days in July where the predicted wind is lower than 25kts. They could hold the race earlier in the day but the wind comes up quickly when it starts blowing so there is not much time between the light morning air and winds above 25kts.
New rules state 23 knots max. It will be interesting how this plays out. One of the main reasons to use the AC 72's was to have a fixed definite start date/time for the TV viewing audience. As all sailors know, a schedule is the most dangerous thing to have when sailing.
 
#290 · (Edited)
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

and that is what I was talking about:

"But the issue of reducing the wind limits for the regatta is likely to prove the most divisive for the teams.

The regatta director's recommendations advise the wind limit be reduced to 20kts in July, 21kts in August, and 23kts in September, with additional wind limit adjustments for tide and sea state.

Team New Zealand managing director Grant Dalton told the Herald at the weekend his team made trade-offs with the design of their boat to ensure it was robust enough to cope with the wind range originally set down in the protocol, and extensive testing had shown their boat was reliable in heavy conditions...

"We have confidence in our boat - design, engineering and construction -and the sailing and support crews. We have invested a lot of time and money on safety."

."

Yachting: Safety increases recommended for America's Cup - Sport - NZ Herald News
 
#294 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

and that is what I was talking about:

"But the issue of reducing the wind limits for the regatta is likely to prove the most divisive for the teams.

The regatta director's recommendations advise the wind limit be reduced to 20kts in July, 21kts in August, and 23kts in September, with additional wind limit adjustments for tide and sea state.

Team New Zealand managing director Grant Dalton told the Herald at the weekend his team made trade-offs with the design of their boat to ensure it was robust enough to cope with the wind range originally set down in the protocol, and extensive testing had shown their boat was reliable in heavy conditions...

"We have confidence in our boat - design, engineering and construction -and the sailing and support crews. We have invested a lot of time and money on safety."

."

Yachting: Safety increases recommended for America's Cup - Sport - NZ Herald News
One mans' opinion,

Note they also said this:
"Team New Zealand released a statement this afternoon to announce the team supports the review committee's recommendations in principle.
"They are prudent and reasonable," said Dalton."
 
#305 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

I don't see the CG preventing boats from racing in over 25kts of wind. The CG issues permits for events that take place both on SF Bay and outside of SF Gate in heavier wind/sea conditions. Usually what happens if the weather is extremely rough is that the Race Committee holds a meeting before the race and everyone is warned about the wind/seas and given the opportunity to scratch from the race; or postpone the race altogether. This gives skippers a chance to assess the seaworthiness of the boat, their sailing skills, and that of their crew. The crew also has the opportunity to decline to sail in the conditions; knowing what they will be going out in.

The CG issues the permit weeks before the race day so they have no jurisdiction on the event's weather conditions. There have been times when USCG did not issue an event permit (following the Low Speed Chase accident); to determine what the cause was and give the racing fleet time to re-assess their internal safety protocols. This did not happen during the Lightship race when Daisy and her crew was lost in heavy conditions a few years back; instead USCG did an escort for the following offshore race to the Farallones. These are offshore events that have had more scrutiny because of the extreme conditions that occur on SF Bar when the wind and swell are up during the winter months. It's not uncommon for the swell to be 12-15' on short period with breakers out on the bar. The races are still permitted and it's not a common occurrence for the racing boats that do go out to be lost.
 
#306 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

I don't see the CG preventing boats from racing in over 25kts of wind. The CG issues permits for events that take place both on SF Bay and outside of SF Gate in heavier wind/sea conditions. Usually what happens if the weather is extremely rough is that the Race Committee holds a meeting before the race and everyone is warned about the wind/seas and given the opportunity to scratch from the race; or postpone the race altogether. This gives skippers a chance to assess the seaworthiness of the boat, their sailing skills, and that of their crew. The crew also has the opportunity to decline to sail in the conditions; knowing what they will be going out in.

The CG issues the permit weeks before the race day so they have no jurisdiction on the event's weather conditions. There have been times when USCG did not issue an event permit (following the Low Speed Chase accident); to determine what the cause was and give the racing fleet time to re-assess their internal safety protocols. This did not happen during the Lightship race when Daisy and her crew was lost in heavy conditions a few years back; instead USCG did an escort for the following offshore race to the Farallones. These are offshore events that have had more scrutiny because of the extreme conditions that occur on SF Bar when the wind and swell are up during the winter months. It's not uncommon for the swell to be 12-15' on short period with breakers out on the bar. The races are still permitted and it's not a common occurrence for the racing boats that do go out to be lost.
But if the CG wants to stop a race, because of conditions or the boat itself, they could declare the voyage manefestly unsafe. Note I said "could". They do have the jurisdiction to do this.
 
#307 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

The do but to my knowledge it has never happened for an inshore race; and the boats racing these events are not as thoroughly prepared, or self scrutinized for safety as much as the AC boats are. If casual crews can race in these conditions that are commonplace where would there be any reason/precedent for the USCG to decline to issue a permit for an AC event? That's not to mention that the accident that occurred was on a non-racing team practice day. In light of that, are we to expect the USCG to start cancelling sailing on SF Bay entirely when the wind hits 22kts? Will I get a ticket if my boat is heeled more than 30 degrees?
 
#309 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

The do but to my knowledge it has never happened for an inshore race; and the boats racing these events are not as thoroughly prepared, or self scrutinized for safety as much as the AC boats are. If casual crews can race in these conditions that are commonplace where would there be any reason/precedent for the USCG to decline to issue a permit for an AC event? That's not to mention that the accident that occurred was on a non-racing team practice day. In light of that, are we to expect the USCG to start cancelling sailing on SF Bay entirely when the wind hits 22kts? Will I get a ticket if my boat is heeled more than 30 degrees?
The AC 72 sailing in the conditions of SF bay is relatively new and totally different from your typical mono hull racing boat. I could see the CG stopping the race if the AC organization does not adapt the proposed changes. It looks like the AC org however will make the necessary changes to satisfy the CG so all is well, at least until all of this goes to the courts.
 
#308 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

I find it strange that the AC is now suggesting major changes to the parameters of these events 1 month before the LVC. These boats were specifically designed to sail in the conditions that are described for this AC event. If one or more of the boats is designed for heavier conditions than the revised rules; then it's overbuilt now, which deem it obsolete. So say Artemis and Luna Rossa built their boats more lightly to begin with; it would benefit those teams immensely if the conditions of the race were changed to lower the windspeeds. You know Oracle made structural and design changes after their accident; and ETZ is saying they are good to go in 30kts; so why should they put their boats at any disadvantage?
 
#311 · (Edited)
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

While the AC event committee may THINK they are running the show; it's really just a façade to make the whole deal look more polished and marketable. The real decision power lies with the Defender and to a lesser extent the Challenger of Record (who are Oracle and ETNZ). If they can't hash out an agreement then the whole thing goes to the courts and it falls back to the wording of what was agreed upon several years ago. Hopefully it won't get to that. It could end up that Artemis and Luna Rossa abandon their campaigns and it goes straight to the AC 34 event between Oracle and ETNZ.
 
#314 · (Edited)
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

These regulations apply to production ships and boats; not one-off craft. I seriously doubt the USCG is going to question the structural design of the AC72 fleet, which are probably the most technically advanced sailing craft on the planet (aside from Hydroptere and other foiling cats). Answers are being sought on the issue of why Artemis had it's failure; which are likely due to robustness of it's design/construction. This is a team problem; not a fleet problem.

If the USCG does a safety check they are looking for lifejackets, flares, and other basic safety and structural flaws. A guy built an all Aluminum trimaran to sail offshore (Circumnav?) a few years ago; the CG stopped him at SF Gate and did a safety check; then let him go. The boat was not built anywhere near the standards for offshore sailing cats. It only made it as far as Santa Cruz before it had major problems IIRC.
 
#315 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

These regulations apply to production ships and boats; not one-off craft. I seriously doubt the USCG is going to question the structural design of the AC72 fleet, which are probably the most technically advanced sailing craft on the planet (aside from Hydroptere and other foiling cats).

If the USCG does a safety check they are looking for lifejackets, flares, and other basic safety and structural flaws. A guy built an all Aluminum trimaran to sail offshore (Circumnav?) a few years ago; the CG stopped him at SF Gate and did a safety check; then let him go. The boat was not built anywhere near the standards for offshore sailing cats. It only made it as far as Santa Cruz before it had major problems IIRC.
Point is the CG does have the authority.
 
#316 · (Edited)
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

They have the authority to do what? Step aboard and 'kick the fenders' and look for minor safety violations (like not having a waste plackard?) In the example I cited they could have easily deemed the craft not seaworthy and towed it in. THEY DIDNT. This boat was probably 100x less seaworthy than an AC72.

It's not gonna happen; so why argue the point? USCG is not going to shut down a multi-billion dollar event/venue just because one person lost their life in an accident. Have they stopped Luna Rossa from testing their boat? Has the AC committee stopped Luna Rossa despite their 'stop practicing for now' request? Every boat has a pretty tight timetable now for getting prepped and as I said before, the USCG is not going to step in and be blamed for causing a multi-billion dollar event to be scratched.
 
#317 ·
Re: Another America's Cup entry destroyed

It's not gonna happen; so why argue the point? USCG is not going to shut down a multi-billion dollar event/venue just because one person lost their life in an accident. Have they stopped Luna Rossa from testing their boat? Has the AC committee stopped Luna Rossa despite their 'stop practicing for now' request? Every boat has a pretty tight timetable now for getting prepped and as I said before, the USCG is not going to step in and be blamed for causing a multi-billion dollar event to be scratched.
Yea, why argue the point...
 
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