Cup Experience

Many America's Cup fans say this is their best source of information.

By Leave a Comment

Crew Lineups for Portsmouth

unnamed (1)

Crew lineups have been shaken up with some of the top sailors off in Rio preparing for the Olympics. Skipper Glenn Ashby will be on the helm for series leader Emirates Team New Zealand replacing Peter Burling. Francesco Bruni will steer Artemis Racing since Nathan Outteridge is in South America getting ready to battle Burling for the 49er gold. More on that next week. Ben Ainslie will once again be without tactician Giles Scott, the favorite in the Finn class. Giles already missed the last AC World Series event, but the Brits showed the depth of their bench, taking second in the Chicago event.

The only opportunity to train in the one design AC45F’s is at the AC World Series events – sailing on Thursday and practice racing on Friday. Francesco Bruni has never raced an AC45F and Glenn Ashby has not helmed in previous racing. Both are top sailors but will have their work cut out for them. Ed Powys will once again handle tactics in place of Giles Scott on Land Rover BAR.

By Leave a Comment

Key Moment for Grabbing the Bonus Points for the 2017 AC Qualifiers

With six of the nine AC World Series events completed, the teams go into Portsmouth with three teams fighting at the top of the leaderboard. One of them will end the series empty handed when it wraps up in Fukuoka, Japan in November. Emirates Team New Zealand continues to lead the series, with Land Rover BAR and Oracle Team USA tied on points.

America’s Cup competition format and scoring explained here.

unnamed

Dean Barker and his men on SoftBank Team Japan hope to build on their good showing in Chicago, where they were on the podium for the first time. Franck Cammas’s Groupama Team France won races in Oman and New York and will try to bounce back from their poor results in Chicago.

By Leave a Comment

Another 2013 Youth AC Sailor Moves Up: Oracle’s Cooper Dressler

In 2013 Cooper Dressler raced with the local San Francisco team “Youth American Sailing Force” in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup. He then got a low level job with Oracle Team USA’s shore crew. His work ethic got noticed and he was asked to join the sailing team. Thanks to CNN for this video.

Low Budget Gym for San Francisco Youth AC Team in 2013
The Oracle gym in Bermuda is a bit different from the youth team’s gym in San Francisco… At 2:00 into the video we see their capsize training – also a bit different. Cooper and his teammates share their training routine in this video.

(Very popular with female readers…)

By Leave a Comment

Building the AC Class Race Yachts for 2017

Boatbuilding crews are hard at work building the AC Class race boats (often called AC50). The hulls are built in three pieces. The lower section has most of the structure, including the cockpit floor and the reinforcement for the daggerboard cage. The upper section has cutouts for the crew cockpits. The 2.7 meter long bow section unbolts so the hull can fit in a 40 foot container. The skin of that bow section is the only part of the yacht required to be built in the country of the yacht club it represents. Oracle and Team Japan are having their boats built at Core Builders in New Zealand. Team New Zealand is also building their boat in New Zealand, at Cooksons. Artemis Racing, Land Rover BAR and Groupama Team France are all building their boats in their home countries, using tooling furnished by Core Builders.

unnamed

Upper half of an AC Class hull – the “deck.” It will be joined with the lower hull section and the bow section will bolt on. Thanks to Richard Gladwell of Sail-World for the photograph. Richard has many more photos and lots of detail in two articles, here and here.

By Leave a Comment

3 Bermuda-based Teams Race Their Test Boats

Thanks to Pamela for sharing in the Cup Experience Facebook Group the news about Oracle Team USA, Artemis Racing and SoftBank Team Japan racing their experimental boats in Bermuda. She reports that Oracle won six of seven races over two days. A Bermudian sailor I know was on the water watching on Friday. His comments: The race area looks SMALL! Artemis raced both their boats; Boat 1 had the old modified AC45 wing. Artemis’s Boat 2, Oracle and Team Japan all had AC Class wings. The boats with newer wings were noticeably faster.

Oracle pulled off a foiling tack in about 9-12 knots of breeze. In about 9 knots in the first race Oracle and Team Japan were both foiling upwind; neither Artemis boat was. When the breeze was up all four boats were foiling upwind.

unnamed

Four AC45x experimental boats raced on the Great Sound last week – two Artemis boats and one each from Oracle and Team Japan. Dockyard, home of the 2017 America’s Cup Village, is in the distance.

By Leave a Comment

“Foil Fest” in Bermuda with AC45X Racing

Oracle Team USA, SoftBank Team Japan and Artemis Racing lined up for three straightline speed runs at ACBDA’s Foil Fest on Saturday.

unnamed1

Look at the trailing edge of each wing. Japan and Oracle have their AC Class wings but Artemis used an AC45 wing that was modified for their test boat. The trailing edge of the AC Class wings has a smooth, rounded shape.unnamed11

Look closer and you can see the angle in the trailing edge where the lowest segment of the flap meets the middle segment. Look closely at the hull and you see only one grinding pedestal. This is Artemis’s “Turbo 1” boat. A little bit of cat and mouse? Or maybe boat 2 is undergoing modifications?unnamed21

MC Glenn Jones and Premier Michael Dunkley helped the enthusiastic crowd enjoy the show.unnamed31

Visitors got a look inside the team bases. Oracle has test systems in their wing shed so they can test and calibrate the wing controls for camber and twist. Look closely at the wing – you can see more camber between the leading element and the flap at the far end of the shed, and almost no camber at the top of the wing, letting us see the twist.Thanks to BERNEWS for the video and photos. Many more photos here.

By 2 Comments

America’s Cup World Series Chicago – Results

Artemis Wins America's Cup World Series Chicago
Artemis Wins America’s Cup World Series Chicago

[Update 30 June 2016 by Jack Griffin Specially edited videos here, here and here. Enjoy!]

Artemis Racing won the America’s Cup World Series in Chicago with Land Rover BAR second and SoftBank Team Japan third. It was the first time for Dean Barker and Team Japan to be on the podium and the first time that Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New Zealand were not. Artemis, New Zealand and BAR have each won two events. Oracle has yet to win. But…  read on.

Now, it’s fine to celebrate and spray some champagne around. And, I like Artemis Racing. I was their expert commentator in their VIP lounge during the racing in San Francisco. I know this team and genuinely like them. But this is the America’s Cup World SERIES. The bonus points for the “America’s Cup Qualifiers” go for the best score in the SERIES not for the number of podiums.

Look at this table:

ACWSChicagoscore

Artemis won in Bermuda and Chicago. But they are 33 points behind New Zealand. Do a little arithmetic and you will see that even if they finished three places better than the Kiwis in every race in Portsmouth – highly unlikely – they would still be six points behind. Consistency rather than flashes of brilliance wins a series. In 22 races, Artemis has finished last seven times; only Team France has more – 10 last place finishes. Japan has two last place finishes and the three teams atop the leaderboard – New Zealand, BAR and Oracle have one apiece, although Oracle needed a capsize to do it.

AmericasCupWorldSeriesLeaderboard-1024x244

The match racing in Bermuda in America’s Cup Class yachts will bear almost no resemblance to the fleet racing in one design AC45’s in the America’s Cup World Series. And, Artemis has been training for months with their two AC45X experimental boats while Team New Zealand has yet to launch a comparable test boat. Yes, the Kiwis have been using one of Luna Rossa’s modified AC45’s but that is a far cry from testing systems and developing a crew choreography playbook for the racing in 2017.

And yet… Imagine that the America’s Cup World Series ended with the current standings. The Kiwis would start the round robin America’s Cup Qualifiers with two bonus points; Artemis would have none. Imagine further that Artemis’s superior technology helped them go undefeated in the round robin, scoring 10 points. And that the Kiwis lost only their two races with Artemis, winning eight races. With their two bonus points the Kiwis would be tied for first with Artemis. Since ties in the Qualifiers are broken by America’s Cup World Series standings, New Zealand would win the Qualifiers. If Artemis made it through the Challenger Semi-finals and Finals, they would start even with defender Oracle instead of with the one point lead they would have had, if they had won the Qualifiers.

AmericasCupWorldSeriesLeaderboard-June2016
America’s Cup World Series Leaderboard – June 2016

By Leave a Comment

America’s Cup World Series Standings Going into Chicago

unnamed

America’s Cup World Series Confirmed for Fukuoka, Japan

The final America’s Cup World Series event in 2016 will be held November 18-20 in Japan’s fifth largest city, Fukuoka.

The schedule for the rest of the year is:

  • June 10-12    Chicago
  • July 22-24      Portsmouth
  • Sep 8-10        Toulon
  • Nov 18-20      Fukuoka

ACEA has discussed a possible event in Q1 2017 but nothing has been confirmed.

By Leave a Comment

America’s Cup World Series Standings After New York

225e5251-0c8e-4179-b067-ae6292aa2e94

It Could Happen

Imagine two teams – let’s call them Purple and Orange. Purple wins the America’s Cup World Series – fleet racing in identical-except-for-the-paint-job, one design AC45F catamarans. Remember, all the points are totaled for all the America’s Cup World Series events. Orange finishes middle of the pack in the AC World Series, since they focused on testing the design for their America’s Cup Class yacht, and on the crew work for the one-on-one match racing in Bermuda. Their strategy pays off. At the end of the double round robin “America’s Cup Qualifiers” in May-June 2017, Orange has a perfect, undefeated record, with 10 points, having won all 10 of their races. Purple did well, too, and finishes 8-2, having lost only their two matches with undefeated Orange.

But guess what?

Purple wins the AC Qualifiers and will start the America’s Cup Match on June 17 with a one point lead. How can that be?  Well, as winner of the AC World Series, Purple carried two bonus points into the AC Qualifiers, so they finish the Qualifiers equal on points with Orange, tied at 10 each. How do you break ties? By looking at the AC World Series final standings, where Purple finished ahead of Orange. So Purple wins the AC Qualifiers and will start the America’s Cup Match with a one point lead. It could happen.

You can download a copy of this diagram with the competition overview here.

5a13d984-e457-4c3e-bc39-c643f6eb2f41

 

By Leave a Comment

Lessons from 2013: Learning to Sail a Complex Boat Takes Time

The systems for daggerboard control on the AC Class race boats will be extremely sophisticated. All the teams will need time to master the complexity. In 2013, Oracle Team USA won Race 4, their first victory, in spite of a crew error with the daggerboard controls. Eliminating errors like this will be a key to success in Bermuda in 2017. In this video, listen as Artemis helmsman Nathan Outeridge explains what happened.

America’s Cup Race 4 Gate 2 US board error

By Leave a Comment

Who Has the Fastest Test AC45X in Bermuda? Guess Again.

On my last visit to Bermuda, in April, I spent an afternoon on a chase boat, watching Oracle Team USA, Artemis Racing and Softbank Team Japan doing some speed tests together.
On my last visit to Bermuda, in April, I spent an afternoon on a chase boat, watching Oracle Team USA, Artemis Racing and Softbank Team Japan doing some speed tests together.

With the Dark ‘n Stormy’s flowing freely at SoftBank Team Japan’s party last Saturday, a close observer of the activity in Bermuda claimed that Team Japan currently has the fastest test boat. You may remember a few issues ago I had an article and video about Nick Holroyd, formerly head of design at Emirates Team New Zealand and one of the pioneers of foiling America’s Cup yachts. Nick is now head of design for Team Japan.

By Leave a Comment

Big Enthusiastic Crowds in Spite of Gray Skies and No Wind on Saturday

Light and shifty winds combined with the Hudson River’s current to challenge both the Race Committee and the teams. On Saturday only a provisional race was held, after the TV window had passed. It was the third time in five regattas that a full day of racing was lost. The crowds in the AC Village and lining the river edge were excited just to see the AC45F’s even if they had to be towed to show off their foiling.

14e75f98-52cb-4741-9b83-8421370efc25

The crowd loved seeing the race boats foiling, even when they had to be towed on Saturday in order to put on a show.

41eef15e-ffa5-4018-a40f-cdb24324cf14

By Leave a Comment

Video: Race 2 Start and Leg 1

Oracle got caught in the current and were swept over the line early in Race 2. They fought back to finish the race in second.

Artemis won Race 1 but came in last in Race 2. France did the opposite – last in Race 1 but first in Race 2. With a 4th in the third race, Groupama Team France got on the podium for the first time in the ACWS.

 

By Leave a Comment

Video: Emirates Team New Zealand Wins in New York and Stays Atop the Leaderboard

 

America's Cup World Series Leaderboard - May'16
America’s Cup World Series Leaderboard – May’16

Going into the last race, all six teams had a chance to win the regatta. With four of the teams bunched on the downstream side of the course, struggling to avoid being carried outside the course limits by the current, the Kiwis found a gust and roared off to win the race and the regatta.

Team New Zealand in trouble at start of America's Cup World Series in New York
Race 3: Team New Zealand in trouble at start of America’s Cup World Series in New York.
Race 3. ETNZ is hooked on the mark and they have picked up a penalty for being OCS (On the Course Side of the line) at the starting signal. Notice, too, that Artemis is off to a poor start, sailing behind the line. On Leg 1 they will be out of position to round Mark1 and be forced to sail back to round it properly.
Race 3. ETNZ is hooked on the mark and they have picked up a penalty for being OCS (On the Course Side of the line) at the starting signal. Notice, too, that Artemis is off to a poor start, sailing behind the line. On Leg 1 they will be out of position to round Mark1 and be forced to sail back to round it properly.
Race 3: Blair Tuke and Guy Endean try to get ETNZ free from the starting mark.
Race 3: Blair Tuke and Guy Endean try to get ETNZ free from the starting mark.

 

 

(missing photo – 1Feb’17)

Race 3 Leg 4: The current, flowing from top to bottom of the image, has carried Land Rover BAR and SoftBank Team Japan outside the course limit, giving them penalties. Meanwhile you can see the ripples on the water where the gust has launched Team New Zealand into the lead and on their way to winning the race and the regatta.

All three lights flashing on BAR. The green light means he is within five boatlengths of the course limit. Ainslie felt Japan did not give him enough room at the course limit. The red light means Ainslie has protested Japan. The blue light means he has a penalty - for going outside the course limits. The umpires ruled that Japan gave him enough room but Japan picked up a penalty of their own when the current took them outside the boundary.
All three lights flashing on BAR. The green light means he is within five boatlengths of the course limit. Ainslie felt Japan did not give him enough room at the course limit. The red light means Ainslie has protested Japan. The blue light means he has a penalty – for going outside the course limits. The umpires ruled that Japan gave him enough room but Japan picked up a penalty of their own when the current took them outside the boundary.
Race 3 Finish: Team New Zealand and Oracle have crossed the checkered finish line. Team Japan, Team France and BAR follow.
Race 3 Finish: Team New Zealand and Oracle have crossed the checkered finish line. Team Japan, Team France and BAR follow.

 

 

By Leave a Comment

Nationality and the America’s Cup – Always Good for a Debate

The debate about nationality rules always stirs passions. Having a strict nationality requirement for the crew would probably boost audience interest, like for the Olympics and the football (soccer) World Cup. But it would also reduce participation and make it hard or impossible for new countries to compete.abd1f9d1-86ee-4d7d-83e1-0c2fd9e8a494

What few people realize is that crew nationality rules were introduced only in 1980 and were dropped 10 years ago. In 1895 and 1899 when American fishermen from Deer Isle, Maine were the crews on “Defender” and “Columbia,” they made news, since crews on US defenders before and after were often Scandinavians.

Charlie Barr, skipper of “Columbia” and later of “Reliance,” was Scottish born. Even “America” had a British pilot on board to navigate around the Isle of Wight in 1851. Barr was a pure professional. He didn’t hesitate to go back to Scandinavian crews for the 1901 and 1903 defenses. Barr would certainly agree with the current philosophy of hiring the best sailors, regardless of nationality.

For the 2017 America’s Cup we have three mostly national teams – Land Rover BAR, Groupama Team France and Emirates Team New Zealand – and three mostly international teams – Oracle Team USA, Artemis Racing and SoftBank Team Japan.

What do you think about nationality requirements? Send me your comments and in a few weeks I’ll report back on what I hear from you.

By Leave a Comment

US Sailor Matt Cassidy on Board Oracle in New York

798b4999-b9a7-4c75-9225-e0fc75046ac3

American Matt Cassidy will race on board Oracle Team USA in New York this coming weekend. Before joining Oracle, Cassidy was a member of  world champion crews in 2011 in the TP52, the World Match Racing Tour and the RC44. Matt grew up in Florida, raced in college in South Carolina and turned pro in San Diego, then moved to Chicago, where he spent seven years before joining Oracle.

Meet Matt Cassidy video.

#TeamThursday: Matt Cassidy

By Leave a Comment

Was This the World’s First AC Grind-off?

At Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute’s Fund Raising Gala, Saturday 23 April 2016.

15/02/16 - Hamilton (BDA) - 35th America's Cup Bermuda 2017 - ORACLE TEAM USA - AC45S training Grinding contest BUEI gala 23Apr'16. Graeme Spence,Luke Parkinson,Simeon Tienpont

Graeme Spence of ORACLE TEAM USA powers through a 60 second all out burst while BUEI’s Executive Director Mel Ferson counts down the time.

15/02/16 - Hamilton (BDA) - 35th America's Cup Bermuda 2017 - ORACLE TEAM USA - AC45S training Grinding contest BUEI gala 23Apr'16. Graeme Spence,Luke Parkinson,Simeon Tienpont

Each of the Bermuda-based teams competed in the charity grind-off. From left to right, Graeme Spence, OTUSA, Luke Parkinson, Artemis Racing, Simeon Tienpont (with daughter Sara) from SoftBank Team Japan. Graeme won the competition but everyone was a winner as the gala brought in over $100,000, including a hefty live auction bid for a ride on Artemis Racing’s turbo boat! A big THANK YOU to all three teams for their support.

Search Cup Experience

Browse All America’s Cup Topics

Recent Articles from the Cup Experience Newsletter