Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals

Subject: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 09:33 AM

There may be a song here! Now I'm not sure how many Mudcatters follow the thrilling America's Cup yacht racing trials now taking place in Auckland, New Zealand, but recent stories buried in the sports pages of my local newspaper have begun to pique my interest. A Swiss yacht, the Alinghi, has now swept the semi-final series 4:0 in the best-of-seven match with San Francisco's Oracle.

Now, let's see, how could the Swiss have accomplished this? In fact where is hell do they practice ocean yacht racing in Switzerland? Did the crew of the Alinghi swim alongside the Oracle in the dark of night and drill holes below her lines with their notorious army knives? Did cheese play a role in this victory, or was it chocolate? Inquiring minds want to know, the rest of the story...

Cheerily,
Charley Noble, who last set sail in 1965

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: jimmyt
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 09:35 AM

They say the Alinghi performed like a fine Swiss wa....... oh never mind!

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Wolfgang
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 09:46 AM

One reason: they are captained by the second best (best: Danish P. Elvstrom) Olympic sailor of all times, the German Jochen Schümann, who has won three Golds and one Silver in three different boats.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Wolfgang
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 09:58 AM

correction: Schümann is co-captain. The other captain and reason for the success is Russel Coutts from New Zealand, former winner of the cup.

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: dick greenhaus
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 10:28 AM

And if you have the money, you do your sailing for severl years at the site of the race. Cangratulations to 'em anyway--they've done some fine sailing.

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Bee-dubya-ell
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 10:30 AM

Cheese and chocolate have nothing to do with it! The yacht is powered by Switzerland's true #1 commodity - MONEY!

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: catspaw49
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 10:32 AM

Yeah Wolfgang....but Coutts is more to the point. He's the real thing and probably and arguably the best match racer in the world at this time. His experience in AC boats and his Cup experience all add up to a winning formula. And believe me, Russell Coutts scares the hell out of his former countrymen as the Kiwis are lodging a protest against the Swiss syndicate and Alinghi in the Vuitton Cup series which of course they aren't even in!!!

Now New Zealand has a crafty old coot all their own in Schnackenburg who claims he's just using a bit of the rules bad wording, but he has great experience in psyching the competition and as a sailmaker he's about tops as well.

Still way too early to tell as the American teams still have a chance. One of them will face the Swiss for the chance to compete in the Cup races, but only a fool would bet against Coutts at this point and the fact is that he's already got the the Kiwis excited by using their own trick (the "snap-on" hull extension) and also by just being Russell Coutts..........If Alinghi makes the Cup races, this should be one of the best Cups in many years! Truthfully though, if either American boat can beat him, the chances of a challenger winning are still pretty good.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 11:27 AM

Wow! Some of the most notorious Mudcat posters are waxing serious. Well, no complaints from me about that, just shock!

Now building on Jimmyt's remark above we might anticipate some confusion aboard the Alinghi as the crew debates "which watch is which."

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: jimmyt
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 12:08 PM

first ever crew where the grinders yodel!

Subject: Lyr Add: THE FAMOUS YACHT ALINGHI (Steve Freedman)
From: Schantieman
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 01:51 PM

OK then - how abou this? First draft only!

THE FAMOUS YACHT ALINGHI

Steve Freedman
Dec 2002

Oh come all you brave young yachtsmen, who sail the stormy deep
I'll tell to you a secret which you must forever keep,
Concerning that bold sail-i-or, Russell Coutts it is his name
And he sailed the yacht Alinghi; from Switzerland it came.

With Jochen Schümann by his side in Auckland he set sail
All for to win America's cup, he knew he must not fail.
The Gnomes of Zurich backed them, and they pleaded on their knees:
Oh bring us back a box of holes for Emmenthaler cheese!

In Schnackenburg, the Kiwi boat, they had a great tactician
His sails and legal knowledge they did help them on their mission
Th'Alinghi overcame them all, it nearly drove them barmy
Coz they all had knives they'd gotten from the world-renowned Swiss Army.

With army knives about their waists on Kevlar lanyards worn
They set about the Kiwi boat as to the manner born
Removing of her fish-scales and the horses' hooves as well
With their magnifying glasses they did cause her hul9l to swell.

Well the series it was over and the Kiwis had been beaten.
For far too much Swiss choc-o-late by them, it had been eaten
The famous yacht Alinghi, was first into the dock
But they found they'd been and timed the race with a crooked cuckoo clock!

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Gareth
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 03:21 PM

Mmmm ! reminds me of a true story.

Now three of four America's Cups ago I had a hunch that the Italian boat could win, so I duely presented my self at Brown's a well known South Wales Bookmaker and asked what odds they were giving on the America's cup.

There then followed a massive scratching of heads, flicking through papers, massive reference books, and a tapping on keyboards.

"'Ere ", says the bookies manager, "What race course is it being run on ?".

A very wet San Diego ??????

Gareth

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: GUEST,Dan Kelly
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 03:37 PM

But what still bothers me: What do they feed their cows to get those little bubles in Swiss cheese?

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: jimmyt
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 04:00 PM

Champaign or alkaseltzer!

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 04:20 PM

Very nice, Steve! I can hear a traditional tune ringing in my ears, or was that the gentle clank of cow bells? You might smooth out that arkward last line; I'm sure you could consolidate it by a word or two.

I still have this persistent vision of the Swiss team practicing their teamwork while tobogganing wildly down the Alps:

Swing 'er round, boys!
Mains'l haul!

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: MMario
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 04:31 PM

the "9" in "hul9l" is silent right? (my god, talk about inside jokes - can you imagine someone who does a cut and paste on this song and then posts it else where?

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Charley Noble
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 07:17 PM

LOL

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 07:33 PM

I don't see a thing unusual about the Swiss having a good 'un in the Cup. One of the past's fine contenders is parked right here in downtown Wichita, Kansas USA - about 1500 miles from the nearest salt water.

(Don't ask whether it was a winner. It happened while I was out of town. I'd have to take the mule downtown to look at its name to be able to look it up.)

John

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Bill D
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 07:50 PM

"Downtown" Wichita?...near Century II, I assume?...by the river?....

little do many folks realize that there are many bodies of water in Kansas big enough to sail a yacht...man-made, most of 'em, but still nice.

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: catspaw49
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 08:13 PM

The boat in Wichita is an early design of the current class that race for the Cup known as the IAC class (International America's Cup). It was the first boat built by the America 3 syndicate which eventually won the Cup in '92. The A3 syndicate was headed by a long time off-shore racer named Bill Koch who is a native of Kansas, hence the name of the boat, Jayhawk, and the donation of it to Wichita.

Jayhawk provided a test bed for their later boats and was invaluable I suppose in that role, but I think it's actual competition record was like 0 and something.....never won once. Bill Koch on the other hand did win the Cup as well as trying again with first all-women team which did pretty well although they didn't make the finals.

Again, what Koch had going for him was mega-bucks and a good management style where he went out and hired the fastest guns around and melded them together into a winning effort. Koch never raced the boats much himself, but he is an excellent offshore helmsman and skipper. Match racing is a skill unto itself.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 10:44 PM

Spaw - that's way more than I ever heard about it right here in Wichita.

The boat is cradled just off the Maple/Lewis street bridge (the street changes names at the river) - 2 blocks S of the "main drag" on Douglas. Far's I know it hasn't moved since they put it up on the blocks there.

We do have a rather large bunch of "wind boats" at the "Ninnescah Yacht Club," about 300 members last I heard - someting over 100 slips. The Ninnescah "river" was a mostly dry-bed creek about 50 miles West of Wichita, until they dammed it and made the Cheney Reservoir - about 20 square miles of water. Stuck in the middle of our flatlands, the usual winds are at least 20 mph, and I've been on the lake when they held 35 with gusts to 50 - not a very pleasant experience in a 16 foot outboard, but it gets the sail boats around at a good clip.

Biggest problem with the dozen or so lakes big enough for sail is the silt and the long shallows around the edges. You can't go very fast with your centerboard in the mud, and you can't maneuver too well if you (if you can) pull it up. Sometimes a guy with a husky outboard can make a profit doing tow jobs.

John

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Musicman
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 10:57 PM

yeah.. well.... my money's on One World.. the american team from Seattle.. .just cause i gotta root for the guys closest to home....

Alinghi is doing a fantastic job...... and i am looking forward to the next set of races starting next week....

musicman

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: catspaw49
Date: 17 Dec 02 - 11:53 PM

Hey Paul.....I figured you'd be rootin' for your almost "home team".....And I figure they have a pretty fair chance of it. Gilmour is a great skipper and has sailed against Coutts an awful lot. New Zealand really cranks them out don't they? Gilmour, Dickson, Coutts, and the new kid......can't remember his name at the moment but he'll be tough too.

Anyway, I am signed up (like an idiot) on Virtual Spectator again and have really enjoyed many of the races so far while playing armchair tactician......well, actually computer chair tactician. I'm thinking of putting a pan of salt water next to me and splashing myself once in awhile.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Schantieman
Date: 18 Dec 02 - 04:28 AM

Ah, yes, Charley - the last line. I laboored long and hard of that to get exactly the right number of syllables - try it again - you should find it fits. Put the accents on the asterisks

But they fou*nd they'd been and ti*med the race with a cro*oked cuckoo clo*ck!

The 9 is, of course, silent.

Steve

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Dec 02 - 09:51 AM

Okay, Steve. I have to admit it's a nice line to wind up your ditty.

What's this about several racing teams experiments with "innovative false hulls"? Apparently, the New Zealand team began this secret strategy which was revealed this week and now Seattle's OneWorld Challenge is modifying its two racers. This is getting all too complicated for someone who has only crewed on a forty-foot ketch in the Carribean.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Dec 02 - 10:13 AM

It's all based around the formula and the basic fact that waterline length equals speed. Like in the Meter classes, the IAC boats are built around a formula where each boat can be different because the ratio is all that matters. If you have so much waterline and so much displacement and so much sail area, the toatal must equal the same thing.....lose some of this and you gainsome of that. Waterline length is critical which has led to the odd bow designs and various stern configurations. The "snap-on" hull idea effectively changes the rating but also keeps the yacht within the formula and allows a better flow at the stern as well.

In both the IAC boats and the previously used 12 Meters, everyone is trying to gain that tiny fraction of speed through mods like this. The old saw that a boat that looks fast generally is, is still pretty true however. Back in '74 there was a 12 Meter of radical design named Mariner which was skippered by Ted Turner (prior to Courageous) that was very blunt at both ends and arguably the ugliest 12 ever built....also one of the slowest. Turner couldn't get any speed out of it and there was a constant argument over the design which Ted blamed for the slow speed (he was right). Turner capped the months long argument with a line that became infamous....."Hell, even a turd is tapered at both ends!"

Spaw

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Schantieman
Date: 18 Dec 02 - 10:29 AM

Hmmm. Yes. (I always thought that was so that your arse didn't shut with a bang!)

The beautiful hull shapes are very often quicker. Look at the clipper bow and the old J-class yachts. You need an easily driven hull form for quick acceleration and high speed in light winds, as well as maximum waterline length for maximum speed if the wind/sail area combination is enough to reach the hull speed.

What I don't understand is how boats can sail at 27 knots or thereabouts. Presumably, they must be planing - but they don't seem to have the righ hull shape for this, nor to be light enough....?

Steve

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Schantieman
Date: 18 Dec 02 - 10:34 AM

...if I've calculated it correctly, the boat would have to be 284 feet long to have a hull speed of 27kt.

S

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Dec 02 - 11:52 AM

That's not a speed you see in these boats although they do get it up there. they are capable of sailing a bit faster than the wind speed under the right conditions and on a broad reach, but these things are built as "Course Racers" and designed to be at their best in 20 knots or less of the true wind speed. If the wind bets above 20 or so, they generally cancel.....same is true below about 4 or 5. Also most are designed to handle moderate chop and waves, not dead smooth water nor big stuff as well. They are outstanding, large, match racers....period.

The trade-offs are what makes it interesting. Paul's buddies in Seattle may well have the fastest horse in the barn providing they race in very mid-range conditions. I think Cup racing is probably about 60% boat and 40% crew. In general, the fastest boat wins, but in boats with very close speeds the crew work comes heavily into play. There are so many factors......breakage, sail selection, tactics, and on and on, that it's tough to pick a winner amongst the very similar boats. The "psych job" has long been a part of the whole thing as well. The Australia II thing was a good case in point. She wasn't really all that much faster, but Connor and company believed she was and were probably beaten at the dock. In the last race of a close series, AII broke and made a great job of repairs underway while Connor made perhaps the dumbest move he ever made....and he was a great match racer.

A perfect example came also in the last Cup challenger series where a boat and skipper were assumed to be the best starters around, none better....and they ended up making lousy starts almost everytime. However, the boats they sailed against made even worse starts....totally psyched out!

I'll be travelling next week and I'm going to miss the series. If any of you want to have some real fun and watch the actual numbers in real time, the Virtual Spectator program is a kick in the ass.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Dec 02 - 12:13 PM

Steve et al-

Well, here's an extra background verse for Steve's song:

The Swiss crew trained all winter amidst them Alpine slopes,
Sailing their toboggans helped them learn the ropes;
You should have heard them shouting as they came thundering by,
"Lean out, me lads, on the weather rail, the Spinnaker let fly!"

Hmmm, probably Steve means "balmy" in his third verse rather than "barmy."

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Schantieman
Date: 18 Dec 02 - 05:20 PM

Nice verse, Charley.

I mean barmy - somewhat mad, not balmy - pleasantly warm
(I think the derivation is something to do with the frothiness of a yeast or barm mixture).

Will now be hors de combat for a bit as I have to go and do family stuff :-(

Bye

Steve

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Dec 02 - 06:08 PM

Steve-

"Balmy" also means foolish or insane, as well as pleasantly warm. "Barm" wasn't in my admittedly less than adequate dictionary.

Glad you like the verse.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Musicman
Date: 18 Dec 02 - 10:24 PM

hey spaw.. yeah.. i've been enjoying the virtual spectator as well.. although i don't often get to see the match 'live' because of timing and work and stuff.. however it is good to watch the VS and the tv coverage at the same time.. helps fill in the holes......

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Naemanson
Date: 18 Dec 02 - 10:38 PM

What was the line from Tom Paxton's song?

"You call that a race, hell, I WALK faster than that."

I am the first one in line when it comes to sailing but I am cursed with a practical streak. If the boat is only good for racing then it is no good. These boats only exist so people with way too much money can flash and splash and show off. Give me a race between people who got dirty building and maintaining their boats and then I will be impressed.

By the way, the midwest is the origin of many of the great naval officers of this century.

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 18 Dec 02 - 11:09 PM

The Midwest also seems to spawn many of our Coastguardsmen. I have met more of them from inland than from the coasts.

Charley, I am surprised and disappointed that you are not a more active sailor. I believed you had salt water running through your veins.

"Barmy" is the English, rather than the American, usage. If you look at various English written maritime novels, you will find it with some regularity.

Good song.

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Dec 02 - 11:14 PM

Aw gee Brett....There ya' went and just crapped all over my 505!!! (:<))

I do tend to agree, but such is the world. I also agree that the midwest ain't a bad place for sailing. Much of the Great Lakes is just like Ocean sailing, but those little midwest 4 or 5 thousand acre lakes with inlets, hills, trees........They will teach you more about reading wind and water than any ocean sailing. Case in point:

My brother-in-law is an Annapolis grad and an aerospace engineer with Lockheed and has a lot of big boat and ocean experience. When they came up here in '87 we all went sailing on a Thistle I had at the time. I let Bob sail as I knew he was competent and all of course, but I also waited for the experience I knew was coming. Buckeye Lake has incredible wind shifts, lots of wind shadows, and is about as tough to sail well on as any place I have ever been. I was trimming and Bob could not get over what was going on and how attentive he had to be. I then started pointing out the holes in the wind and calling tacks for him and he was just completely amazed. As we came through a bend in the lake we not only had to turn slightly, but caught a lift which took us from a hard beat to a broad reach in just a few seconds and had we been sailing something less stable than the Thistle, we'd have broached. I popped the chute after he'd recovered and then ask he if wanted to trade places for awhile. It was a smallish kite and I knew I could carry it up to a beam reach and after a few minutes the wind shifted again and I came up, put the girls on the rail and watched as he had one helluva' time trimming, but we came up on plane and she was flying. He still talks about that day. Before that day I think he had no respect for us little lake dinghy sailors. Gave me great joy to convert another one!!!

And along with the naval officers, remember that Bill Koch, a Kansan who won the Cup, went to the King of lake racing to help him do it....Buddy Melges from Wisconsin.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Charley Noble
Date: 19 Dec 02 - 09:58 AM

Spaw-

I understand you got some awesome tides out there as well.

;~)
Charley Noble, who also spent 12 years marooned in Lansing, MI

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Charley Noble
Date: 13 Jan 03 - 07:55 AM

Just an update on this nautical sailing classic. The Swiss yacht Alinghi has now taken a 2-0 lead in the challenger final, needing only 3 more victories to win the right to race the defending New Zealand yacht.

The Alinghi won its most recent race against San francisco's Oracle by the novel strategy of shooting away their spinnacker pole as they rounded the second mark. You got to give it to them Swiss; they's not your ordinary truffles.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Gurney
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 03:22 AM

And here comes the challenge from One World! The American boat narrowly missed beating Alinghi yesterday due to a penalty for bumping it, and beat it soundly a couple of hours ago, after some exciting racing in light and fluky winds. 'Exciting' is relative. Both challengers (and the holder, of course) are (co-)skippered by Kiwis, crewed with a leavening of Kiwis, and two of the three are Kiwi designed. As an adopted Kiwi, I say, even if we lose, we lose to one of our own.

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Fossil
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 10:03 AM

Well. nice to hear from some other sailing 'Catters!

I labour under the dual disadvantage here in Belgium of (a) being a keen sailor and (b) being married to a Kiwi. We own a little 27 foot sailboat and sail whenever we can, mostly in the Belgian and Dutch coastal waters. When we were in NZ four years ago, we were taken out to see some of the Vuitton races from the water and very exciting it was, too.

Personally, (don't tell the wife....) my money's on NZ - the level of commitment by the general public there has to be seen to be believed and that has to affect the team performance in the end. Pity we don't see more on TV here. The VS software is better than it used to be, but still no substitute for seeing it live.

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Lanfranc
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 10:26 AM

The coverage of the Louis Vuitton Cup here in the UK has been pretty poor, and a lot of people lost interest once GB Challenge was eliminated.

It would be good to see some real sailing racing coverage, but all we seem to get on TV is skiffs and the big stuff, which is rather hard for the average club dinghy sailor to identify with.

Oh, and the transocean races, at which, thanks to certain young ladies, we in Britain seem to be doing quite well!

Lee-oh

Alan

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 10:33 AM

Sounds like the Swiss are running like a [shudder] watch.

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Gurney
Date: 16 Jan 03 - 12:41 PM

Correction: That is the American yacht ORACLE that is making a run. I should get my facts right. Conditions forecast on the Hauraki Gulf today are similar to yesterday, which the pundits think will still favour Oracle. There isn't much in it, though. Both teams are fast and polished, which is why they are finalists, of course. Chris.

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Gurney
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 03:44 AM

Again, Alinghi, the Swiss yacht, scored a narrow win of 13secs over Oracle BMW yesterday. Today is a lay day, and Alinghi is on match point, leading 4-1 in the best of 9 final for the Louis Vuitton Cup and the right to challenge Team New Zealand for the America's Cup.    It is no hardship for me to post this, it is the big sports news here, but is anyone interested?   Chris.

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Schantieman
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 08:51 AM

I'm listening Chris!

Steve

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: EBarnacle1
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 09:17 AM

Even though the totals appear somewhat one sided, the narrowness of the finishes shows why match racing is definitely a good way for the races to be run.

Yup, I'm interested.

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Charley Noble
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 09:39 AM

Gurney-

Thanks for maintaining this thread. I am interested, despite my occasional pun or other wordplay, and the results are erratically posted in my local newspaper.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: catspaw49
Date: 18 Jan 03 - 10:50 AM

I've been watching them all and enjoying my Virtual Spectator program as well. I've been watching or following Cup racing since the days of Intrepid and Buss Mossbacher when it was far less professional and a hundred times more boring! And on that note..........

This particular match is very rare in the entire history of the Cup, including the J-Boats of the 30's because it is one of the very few where I truly believe that the boat has been taken out of the equation. In terms of overall speed under all conditions and points of sail, there is very little in it. Oracle has a slight edge in light breeze and downwind, but it's not any more than the tiny advantage the Swiss boat has upwind or in a breeze. There are good and bad points for each boat but as I said, they are almost exactly even.

Where the real difference comes is where it should and that's between the crews and afterguards. Both in these cases are excellent and yet have made a number of mistakes, some large, some small. How well the opposing boat takes advantage of the errors is the difference in these races so far with the Swiss boat holding the advantage in fewer errors and better advantage made of the American mistakes. For all the talk of the spinnaker pole disaster, I thought this last race showed another huge error by the Oracle afterguard instead of the deck crew.

They had taken the Swiss further and further out to the edge of the course on that one beat and then for some ungodly reason let them back to the middle where Alinghi was quick to turnaround the loss to a gain. I suppose that someone on Oracle saw better wind back towards the center or something, but in match racing when you are controlling the other boat to the point that Oracle was, the last thing you do is look for better pressure! Geeziz, I was in shock! Alinghi would have been forced into at the least a double tack at the mark with the chances for crew error as well as a slow set to downwind. Oracle could have damn near have sunk and won. But they let the Swiss boat back to the center and as the breeze increased giving Alinghi a slight edge, the race was over.

Right now the advantage on crew/afterguard goes to Alinghi but with a little more concentration I see no reason that Oracle cannot go ahead and win 4 in a row. That said, I doubt it happens. The main reason is the difference between Dickson and Coutts, excitable and aggressive versus cold and calculating. We'll see!!!

The statements made post race are all talking about Alinghi's superior speed, but if you watched that race and have ever raced a sailboat, then you know it's BS.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Little Robyn
Date: 19 Jan 03 - 12:58 AM

They've done it! It's all on our news at the moment! The Swiss boat will now sail against us to try to take the America's cup.
Watch this space!

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Gurney
Date: 19 Jan 03 - 02:03 AM

Just been watching the presentation of the Louis Vuitton cup to the Alinghi team -they spell it alinghi, by the way, no capital- and everyone asked cited teamwork as the deciding factor. As a matter of interest, there are 14 nationalities in the crew. Oracle-BMW incurred another penalty early in the match, and the racing was too close for them to execute the obligatory manoeuvre. I'll start a new string when the America's Cup racing starts, if someone doesn'nt do it first.
Hey, Little Robyn, do you play the Northumbrian Pipes? Chris.

Subject: RE: Swiss Yacht Sweeps Cup Semi-finals
From: Little Robyn
Date: 19 Jan 03 - 02:46 AM

I sure do!
See you next weekend Chris.
Robyn