America's Cup Sailing

[Detroitgator]

OK, so let's get this out of the way right now: I get it, "NOT A REAL SPORT!!!"

That said, up through my 20's, I really followed both the Whitbread (IDGAF what they call it now, it's Whitbread to me) around the world race and the America's Cup. I was always really fascinated with the technology that went into the America's Cup.

So a few years ago, the America's Cup team started making Pensacola their winter home because of sailing/wind conditions here and are looking to now build a permanent facility... blah blah blah.

Here's what blew me away though with the new technology. The American Magic is a 75 foot fukkin sailboat that rides OUT of the water at up to twice the speed of the wind pushing it on two hydrofoils that look like spindly t-rex arms. This past summer, it hit 60 mph... A 75 FOOT FUKKIN SAILBOAT AT 60 MPH! That's nuts.

 

[jdh5484]

OK, so let's get this out of the way right now: I get it, "NOT A REAL SPORT!!!"

That said, up through my 20's, I really followed both the Whitbread (IDGAF what they call it now, it's Whitbread to me) around the world race and the America's Cup. I was always really fascinated with the technology that went into the America's Cup.

So a few years ago, the America's Cup team started making Pensacola their winter home because of sailing/wind conditions here and are looking to now build a permanent facility... blah blah blah.

Here's what blew me away though with the new technology. The American Magic is a 75 foot fukkin sailboat that rides OUT of the water at up to twice the speed of the wind pushing it on two hydrofoils that look like spindly t-rex arms. This past summer, it hit 60 mph... A 75 FOOT FUKKIN SAILBOAT AT 60 MPH! That's nuts.

View attachment 50030

That's not a sailboat.

As an engineer, I do appreciate the technology, particularly the materials (my background is composites). They are very efficient systems to -converting of wind into linear motion.

But these are no longer sailboats.

(I'm too lazy to look it up, but didn't they have a rule that a certain amount of the hull had to stay on the water? )

 

[Detroitgator]

That's not a sailboat.

As an engineer, I do appreciate the technology, particularly the materials (my background is composites). They are very efficient systems to -converting of wind into linear motion.

But these are no longer sailboats.

I agree... it's why I've actually always liked the Whitbread better than America's Cup, especially the crazy conditions they sail under.

 

[BNAG8R]

There is no better definition of “Fuchs you money” than what these tycoons spend on their Americas Cup teams. They push technology in 100 different ways.

I worked for a company that provides software to analyze wind fields to optimize lift (or for a sailboat, thrust) and minimize drag. (For the nerds here - CFD solutions). At one time the worlds largest CFD model ever built was for an Americas Cup entry, that had to wait for the largest supercomputer facility to finish completion to be able to run. I’m guessing that’s not cheap.

For a fuchsing boat.

 

[jdh5484]

I agree... it's why I've actually always liked the Whitbread better than America's Cup, especially the crazy conditions they sail under.

Awesome engineering though.

 

[Back Alley Gator]

I briefly watched the America's Cup back when they ran the Stars and Stripes. Thirty years later, on a cruise to St. Maarten I had the opportunity to take an excursion where they have you crew a pair of old boats and race each other. I was too old for that chit. Was still really fun.

 

[Back Alley Gator]

Sigh... Now you've got me looking at the new boats and teams. Looks like the kiwis have been eating our lunch of late.

Looks like the boom is now attached to the hull and the crew are stationed on the sides of the vessel. And the hand grinders have been replace by cyclors...powered by feet and legs.

Crazy chit.

 

[CaribGator]

No rule on a percentage of the Hull having to maintain contact with the water. In fact, it defeats the design. They ride fully up on the foil.

The speeds they reach with whatever winds are blowing is off the chains. The tech is really remarkable.

I started following the racing Back in the 80's, i only had a Hobie Cat, but flying a hull and jumping waves was still a thrill.

 

[Zambo]

 

[Gator By Marriage]

@Detroitgator - more of a "leisure activity" than a "sport" - a "sporting activity" perhaps? It is definitely one that is taken very seriously by some super rich, correction, wealthy people!

My Pops was very into sailing and kept a 21' day-sailer at a marina on the Potomac, right down the street from we lived. He would take a trip every year for a week or two with some friends and sail all around the Chesapeake. If it was just a day sail with friends on the Bay, or even once off of Nantucket, he would drag dum-dum me along in the hopes I too would become passionate about it; sadly he failed on that effort. I always enjoyed it, but never loved it. (BTW - He would have argued it was a "sport.")

He too was always fascinated by the America's Cup - though he hated how the NYYC rigged the game for many years and took some perverse pleasure when the Aussies finally beat them - and the technology that went into it. Fun fact: The America's Cup is the world's oldest continuous sporting competition.

 

[B52G8rAC]

OK, so let's get this out of the way right now: I get it, "NOT A REAL SPORT!!!"

That said, up through my 20's, I really followed both the Whitbread (IDGAF what they call it now, it's Whitbread to me) around the world race and the America's Cup. I was always really fascinated with the technology that went into the America's Cup.

So a few years ago, the America's Cup team started making Pensacola their winter home because of sailing/wind conditions here and are looking to now build a permanent facility... blah blah blah.

Here's what blew me away though with the new technology. The American Magic is a 75 foot fukkin sailboat that rides OUT of the water at up to twice the speed of the wind pushing it on two hydrofoils that look like spindly t-rex arms. This past summer, it hit 60 mph... A 75 FOOT FUKKIN SAILBOAT AT 60 MPH! That's nuts.

View attachment 50030

thats what you get when you have an aero engineer, possibly from an elite university, design your vessel. and OBTW, I just noticed Whitbread and WHITEBREAD are pretty much the same. Never noticed that before.

 

[NVGator]

This looks like a sport for the Elites.

 

[itsgr82bag8r]

I’ve got some friends within the PYC hierarchy, who’ve welcomed and assisted the group into Pensacola, that tell me it’s amazing stuff.

 

[Detroitgator]

@Detroitgator - more of a "leisure activity" than a "sport" - a "sporting activity" perhaps? It is definitely one that is taken very seriously by some super rich, correction, wealthy people!

My Pops was very into sailing and kept a 21' day-sailer at a marina on the Potomac, right down the street from we lived. He would take a trip every year for a week or two with some friends and sail all around the Chesapeake. If it was just a day sail with friends on the Bay, or even once off of Nantucket, he would drag dum-dum me along in the hopes I too would become passionate about it; sadly he failed on that effort. I always enjoyed it, but never loved it. (BTW - He would have argued it was a "sport.")

He too was always fascinated by the America's Cup - though he hated how the NYYC rigged the game for many years and took some perverse pleasure when the Aussies finally beat them - and the technology that went into it. Fun fact: The America's Cup is the world's oldest continuous sporting competition.

It's always rigged... incumbent gets to write the rules for the next race, but I know what you meant.

 

[Detroitgator]

I’ve got some friends within the PYC hierarchy, who’ve welcomed and assisted the group into Pensacola, that tell me it’s amazing stuff.

A bunch of the team already has their families here year round... that said, there is NO DOUBT in my mind, given all the fuk ups they've already made with the Port of Pensacola, that the City will f this up too!

 

[itsgr82bag8r]

A bunch of the team already has their families here year round... that said, there is NO DOUBT in my mind, given all the fuk ups they've already made with the Port of Pensacola, that the City will f this up too!

Oh, we both know that’s a given.

 

[Detroitgator]

Oh, we both know that’s a given.

Did you see that one of the dudes that is a co-owner in the current company that is a deadbeat tenant in the Port was just indicted.... for a $230M AIDS meds fraud ring? You can't make this schit up how mismanaged the City is.

 

[itsgr82bag8r]

Did you see that one of the dudes that is a co-owner in the current company that is a deadbeat tenant in the Port was just indicted.... for a $230M AIDS meds fraud ring? You can't make this schit up how mismanaged the City is.

Good lord, no, I missed that.

Seriously, it’s been getting exponentially worse since the years post-Katrina when so many Nawlin’s natives moved over permanently once they saw how much nicer it was when they sheltered here while the “cleanup” took place in Chocolate City. Just sayin’.

The simple fact that Mobile, with that turd water they have up in the upper reaches of the Bay, can lure and support a cruise ship operation, but the Port of P’cola won’t even try, says it all. Purposely forfeiting the revenue from a couple thousand passengers each week flowing through the downtown area, flush with cash, tells you all you need to know.

 

[Detroitgator]

Good lord, no, I missed that.

Seriously, it’s been getting exponentially worse since the years post-Katrina when so many Nawlin’s natives moved over permanently once they saw how much nicer it was when they sheltered here while the “cleanup” took place in Chocolate City. Just sayin’.

The simple fact that Mobile, with that turd water they have up in the upper reaches of the Bay, can lure and support a cruise ship operation, but the Port of P’cola won’t even try, says it all. Purposely forfeiting the revenue from a couple thousand passengers each week flowing through the downtown area, flush with cash, tells you all you need to know.

They need to sell the port, or at least lease the entire thing to someone who knows what they are doing. I'm here to tell you, the I-10 corridor between Mobile and Tallacrappee is going to be the hottest industrial real estate spot in the region within 15 years.

 

[itsgr82bag8r]

They need to sell the port, or at least lease the entire thing to someone who knows what they are doing. I'm here to tell you, the I-10 corridor between Mobile and Tallacrappee is going to be the hottest industrial real estate spot in the region within 15 years.

Agreed.

…….and refocus Studer to see the benefits of commercial vs boutique waterfront development to let him pull the chains of the “old guard” holding stuff back.