I have been watching the America's Cup races and was impressed with data superimposed on the race images.
They can track the boats within one inch and the helicopter within 1/100 of a degree in orientation.
For a non boating type like me the commentating and the graphics made for interesting viewing. No adverts was an added bonus.
To my senses the presentation of the cup etc was very tacky.
Lots of reference to Mumm Napa sparking wine which made me smile.
Some info on the kit.
techcrunch.com/2013/09/05/americas-cup-data-visualization-video-stan-honey/
www.americascup.com/about/ac-liveline
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I'm still trying to get my head round the idea of sailing boats doing 40-odd knots (50 MPH).
70ft, hydrofoil catamarans!
Madness, but I loved it.......................................
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It was fantastic viewing (OK, I'm biased, I sail and windsurf), but even to me the idea of sailing at twice the wind speed in such a big thing is just plain weird.
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>> It was fantastic viewing (OK, I'm biased, I sail and windsurf)
I thought the one programme I saw was fantastic viewing, and I neither sail nor windsurf. I'd never seen anything like it - the boats, and the way they sail/fly, are amazing, and the side-by-side racing with the occasional near-collision and capsize made it pretty exciting.
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>> I sail and windsurf
Do you indeed. Have you been out this way (South America) ? Because if not, then you really should. There's some quite exciting places. I Kite surfed for a while, but I didn't find it half as much fun as windsurfing.
Get your timing right and where I live you can get Windsurfing and Snowboarding in on the same day.
www.planetwindsurfholidays.com/resorts/brazil/jericoacoara/
www.oceansource.net/windsurfing_in_chile.asp
I was in Playa La Boca the other day (I have a house there).
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfn5TQpiPcE
Last edited by: No FM2R on Fri 27 Sep 13 at 17:17
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Those carbon-fibre catamarans are just fabulous to watch and astonishingly fast.
Can't help wondering if really huge ones, broad enough to be stable with the wind on the beam, might lead to a comeback of sail for commercial and passenger long-distance transport when all the technologies have been developed.
Small sailing dugouts with an outrigger on one side were common in Asia in my youth. They were rough-looking things manned by poor blokes but they went well and the blokes seemed happy and were friendly.
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Mesmerising to watch. Definitely a rich mans game. $100 million for one boat?
Another accolade for Ben Ainslie who got recruited and turned the whole outcome on it's head.
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Not to denigrate Aislie's abilities, but changes were made to the boats during the competition to 'tweek' their performance. They were noticeably faster as the event progressed (the US team were penalised for one such change, outside of the rules).
I guess the US teams tweeks were more effective than NZs.
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I understand Sir Ben significantly improved US tacking = an area where the NZs had had a significant time advantage. I have no idea if design changes helped or not..
Imagine a 1,000 foot 100,000 tonne catermeran loaded with containers doing 50 knots in the Channel...
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>>Not to denigrate Aislie's abilities, but changes were made to the boats during the competition to 'tweek' their performance.
>> They were noticeably faster as the event progressed
>> I guess the US teams tweeks were more effective than NZs.
This was noted several times in the commentary, after the lay day ( when they were sailing in a straight line)
>>I understand Sir Ben significantly improved US tacking = an area where the NZs had had a significant time advantage.
>>
Again it was noted that the US had learned to tack better by copying how the Kiwis did it.
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>> >>Not to denigrate Aislie's abilities, but changes were made to the boats during the competition
>> to 'tweek' their performance.
>> >> They were noticeably faster as the event progressed
>> >> I guess the US teams tweeks were more effective than NZs.
>> This was noted several times in the commentary, after the lay day ( when they
>> were sailing in a straight line)
>>
>> >>I understand Sir Ben significantly improved US tacking = an area where the NZs had
>> had a significant time advantage.
>> >>
>> Again it was noted that the US had learned to tack better by copying how
>> the Kiwis did it.
>>
So all in all we are saying that Ainsley taught a team how to win?
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>>So all in all we are saying that Ainsley taught a team how to win?
>>
www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/sailing/24315701
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I heard an American commentator saying words to the effect of " A fast boat will always beat a well sailed one".
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>> I heard an American commentator saying words to the effect of " A fast boat
>> will always beat a well sailed one".
Probably why they needed a Brit to win then.
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Only the British could show a reluctance to back one of their own countrymen, even though we are world class when it comes to sailing.
Why did the Americans recruit him if not to give them an edge? You still have to make important decisions as a tactician.
Jeez.
Last edited by: corax on Sun 29 Sep 13 at 10:47
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>> Imagine a 1,000 foot 100,000 tonne catermeran loaded with containers doing 50 knots in the
>> Channel...
>>
I spent a day on a Boeing Jetfoil when the Navy had one for evaluation. 50 Knots on that in the Channel was impressive. The safety briefing was "If the (tested) alarm sounds hang on to something solid as there is a system failure and it will fold its legs and drop into the water." That makes for serious brakes!
www.boeing.com/boeing/history/boeing/hydro.page
Last edited by: Old Navy on Sat 28 Sep 13 at 09:58
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America's Cup - TV technology - bathtub tom
