America's Cup - boats foiling with bow down trim?

[Kenomac]

The new racing foil catamarans are simply amazing to watch. The Americas cup has gone Formula One. Finally.

I couldn't stand watching the old style 12 meter stuff.. B O R I N G. Worse than watching paint dry. I fell asleep 15 minutes into the only race I ever attempted to watch.

[toddedger]

The bow down aditude is due to the restrictions in foil manipulation. The boats sail at a level aditude when going to windward, and bow down when off the wind. This trade off is for more efficiency up wind.

[donradcliffe]

If you want to see the real America's Cup spectacle, go to Bermuda on June 16-20 for the J class regatta.

Eight J Class yachts are expected in Bermuda - including Shamrock V - with seven anticipated to compete in the J Class regatta. This will be the first time in history that seven J Class yachts have raced against each other.

[TrentePieds]

Quote: "I'm afraid you are correct. I has become a different universe. I hope some of the old is maintained someplace for posterity."

I try damn hard to stay alive for that very reason ;-0)!

I also argue consistently that Willy Occam is a wonderful shipmate. I try to teach people how to sail without the aid of gee-gaws. I know I'm "hopelessly" outta step with the world, but I seem to recall that , in the end, it was the tortoise that won the race against the hare :-)!

Now one of the things I'm too old and too dense to figger out is when the world is your oyster. And when it's the other way about ;-)

Cheers

TP

[Elie]

For the romantics of an other era, Jboats are the way to go... If you have the money to waste.
I love seeing the new foilers zipping at warp speed without any apparent effort. What a pleasure it must be to drive this monsters at 45 plus knts. I try to sail all winters with a DN Iceboat : The feeling, the acceleration are prodigious and I presume that it must be even better with the new America's cup sailing monsters...

[tartansail]

Originally Posted by donradcliffe

If you want to see the real America's Cup spectacle, go to Bermuda on June 16-20 for the J class regatta.

Eight J Class yachts are expected in Bermuda - including Shamrock V - with seven anticipated to compete in the J Class regatta. This will be the first time in history that seven J Class yachts have raced against each other.

Or watch them in Newport in August:
J Class World Championship :: Event :: J Class Association

That said, I enjoy watching the current AC. The skill that is required is extraordinary, the technology is awesome, and the speeds are mind-blowing. I'm not buying the "either/or" here. It doesn't seem like appreciating sailing on the edge precludes enjoying classic boats. I'll go out to watch the J-regatta when they come, but I'm not going to stop enjoying the AC.

BTW, the NZ switch from coffee grinders to pedaling to power the hydraulics seems like a great idea. Better use of strongest muscle groups and better aerodynamics. I expect they will the norm next time around.

[Deltasailor]

Lucky lot, if only I could watch it on TV without paying a fee.

No cover on the net.

I am not happy

How was it possible for me to watch the racing in Frisco? Not now!!

Sick and tired.

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by tartansail

BTW, the NZ switch from coffee grinders to pedaling to power the hydraulics seems like a great idea. Better use of strongest muscle groups and better aerodynamics. I expect they will the norm next time around.

I was thinking the same thing when I first saw them.

[iSaint]

Originally Posted by Deltasailor

Lucky lot, if only I could watch it on TV without paying a fee.

No cover on the net.

I am not happy

How was it possible for me to watch the racing in Frisco? Not now!!

Sick and tired.

Sailing will never get the coverage or respect it deserves as an ancient way of travel/racing. If you don't have NBCSN you're SOL.

[Dave_S]

I believe, There needs to be a class in every sport that is an "open" class, or near to it to keep the R&D increasing technology in it otherwise we would all be sitting on the banks watching coracle races.

What gets raced today becomes tomorrows cruiser. No one else is going to spend the development money.

[jdaltonpe]

I used to sail a Windrider Rave (foiling trimaran) which generally sailed on the level. When she was foiling along and a gust hit, the acceleration was awesome but the quick increase in speed also gave the foils a quick increase in lift (exponential) so you had to be really fast on the adjustment to keep the foils in the water. If you were too slow the foils would jump right out of the water and you became airborne - thats when things got very splashy. I am just not that fast so I buried her nose regularly when she came down ending up dead stopped and nearly vertical. That may have something to do with the nose down attitude - a little buffer against becoming airborne, it is a fine line.
To those who prefer the classic boats - I love them too but you don't have to choose, you can enjoy both!

[sailon46]

Some of you old f....s would bring back the caravelles of Colombus or maybe the trireme of the Greeks. Lol. I love the innovation the.foils on the monohauls of the French in the Vendee Globe. Get with it your grand kids are already foiling their hobbie cats. Seen them passing me by while sailing out there what a spectacle. It is sailing to me like kite sailing or board sailing. It's all about skill and athleticism.
Ernie on the Mary Jane

[Bleemus]

A bunch of guys pumping hydraulics and the best strategy is not to tack or gybe as much as the other guy. Highway wide sailing area limits opportunity for leverage. Most boring Cup ever.

[CptJ-GS50]

Originally Posted by Davidhoy

Thoroughly enjoying watching the America's Cup races from Bermuda. Watching these 50 footers foiling along at up to 40 knots is very impressive. But it got me wondering, they all seem to be trimmed down by the bow - why is that? I'd imagine that it would makes them far more likely to bury their bows as they come down off the foils. Anyone have a good explanation of why they sail (or should I say fly) the boats this way?

I was wondering the same thing. It is almost impossible to catch a still frame to look at the angle of attack. Looking at it from the perspective of an airplane wing, which essentially it is. But, looking at it and knowing it doesn't flex like a sail I think the high and low pressure on the wing will increase air flow. But, I will be the first to admit... I DON"T KNOW.

[thinwater]

I find the grumping hysterical. The America's Cup was, in its beginning an arms race between rich men. Bring the fastest thing you could. And it is again.

There are plenty of big keel boat races. What would one more really add? And what right do we have to say "they" should spend their money the way we want them to? I figure it's their game. When I race, it is one design, any design.

As for beauty, the J-boats are certainly classic, but what they really are, for this purpose, is utterly obsolete. I'm sure that if their hyper competitive builders could have imagined something they could build that would go 40 knots, they would have dropped the J boats like a bad habit.