Cup Experience

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America’s Cup Test Races – The Results and What They Mean

The five America’s Cup teams in Bermuda held the second series of test races in their America’s Cup Class race boats – 17 races in all. In windy conditions Artemis dominated, winning all nine races, including four against Oracle. Oracle beat everyone else, including three wins against stablemates SoftBank Team Japan. Team Japan lost five races but beat Land Rover BAR and Groupama Team France once each. BAR raced each team once, beating only the French. France raced each team once, losing to everyone.

America’s Cup Practice Racing – 6-12 April 2017

17 Races Were Run

America's Cup Practice Racing Results 6-12 April 2017

Head to Head Results

America's Cup Practice Racing Results 6-12 April 2017

But… All of the teams will continue improving!
France has good straightline speed but are still mastering their boat and the control systems.
BAR has great crew work on a slow boat that they will continue to develop.
Team Japan, like the French, has a fast boat and will continue to improve.
Oracle has heaps of resources and experience at making a comeback.
Artemis will keep getting faster.

And… then there is the mystery team – Emirates Team New Zealand.
We will find out how competitive the Kiwis are during the next training race series – five days beginning Monday 24 April. All reports say they are fast, smooth and confident, as we heard in this interview.

Comments From the The Teams

Oracle Team USA Skipper Jimmy Spithill

Nathan Outteridge and Iain Percy – Artemis Racing

 

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America’s Cup Wind Model for Bermuda’s Great Sound

America's Cup wind model for Bermuda
Airbus wind model of Great Sound.

Looking for every possible advantage in the America’s Cup, Oracle Team USA has a small scale wind model for Bermuda’s Great Sound. Technical partner Airbus built the model for them using large quantities of wind data the team has collected over the last two years from their test boats, chase boats and the crane at their base. Large scale models for the Atlantic cannot be scaled down into reliable models for the Great Sound, since it is enclosed and subject local effects unrelated to the rest of the Atlantic.

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Oracle Has a Scare on Thursday, Capsizes on Saturday

Thursday 6 April 2017 – On an official practice race day, Oracle had a scare, nearly capsizing their America’s Cup Race Boat.

Two days later they did capsize. The boat was righted within 10 minutes. After tests and repairs, they were back out sailing the next morning. In the video, Oracle has blurred out the foils but you can see their shape in the video from MyislandhomeBDA, below.

MyislandhomeBDA also captured the incident. In this video it looks like the boat was righted by pulling it up from the side rather than by “flying it up” – towing the boat forward into the wind with the wing trimmed down. There may have been too little wind for that technique. Note that you get a good look at the foils when the boat is on its side – very long with high aspect ratio.

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Youth America’s Cup Chase Boat Nearly Hits Artemis – Minor Damage

Youth America's Cup chase boat cuts in front of Artemis during practice race, 6 April 2017 - MyislandhomeBDA
Youth America’s Cup chase boat cuts in front of Artemis during practice race, 6 April 2017 – MyislandhomeBDA

On Thursday 6 April, Artemis Racing won their pre-start against Oracle Team USA, putting a penalty on Oracle. Artemis led going into the first mark doing close to 40 knots, when an errant chase boat from a Red Bull Youth America’s Cup team crossed in front of them. The chase boat did a quick 180. Nathan Outteridge did an emergency bearaway and Artemis planted the bows, damaging the fairing on the forward crossbeam. Regatta Director Iain Murray abandoned the race and cleared the course. Artemis went to their base to inspect the structures and to patch up the damage. They returned for a second race against Oracle. Artemis lost the start and followed Oracle around the first mark but found better pressure later in the race and passed Oracle for the win.

Artemis Helmsman Nathan Outteridge Describes the Incident

At 1:00 into this video by Jason Smith of MyislandhomeBDA, Artemis and Oracle cross the start line. At 1:45 Artemis leads around Mark 1. You can see the Youth America’s Cup chase boat’s emergency turn on the right edge of the screen. About 15 seconds later, at 2:00 in the video we can see the damaged fairing hanging from the forward starboard crossbeam. At 2:17 a crewman leaves his cockpit and lies down on the crossbeam to pull off the damaged piece. At 2:33 he throws it overboard and at 2:50 the Artemis chase boat stops to pick it up.

Jason Smith’s “MyislandhomeBDA” YouTube channel provides regular video updates on the teams training in Bermuda. You can thank Jason by subscribing to his YouTube channel and by making a donation.