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Keeping Up with the Cup

The 35th Americas Cup will be taking place in Bermuda in 2017. Here it is March 2015 and things are starting to heat up…

Oracle AC 45 Foiling in the SF Bay

Dean Barker, a 15 year veteran at the helm,  was recently devastated with the news that he would be replaced by 24 year old Peter Burling as the skipper of Team New Zealand. The Kiwi’s still want Barker to join them, just not as skipper. However, we think Barker may have some tricks of his own up his sleeve (read here)… Ainslie did it, why can’t he. I think we will see more and more boats being represented by individuals and big sponsors instead of countries as time progresses. I mean, we all know by now that the crews are mostly made up of Kiwi’s. Hence, regardless of what big corporate sponsors are on the side of the boat, New Zealand as a whole has the best sailors in the world (at least IMO).

Check out some of the fun (FAST) footage of Team USA’s Oracle #4, out for some practice a few weeks ago. This is the revamped, foiling, fixed wing version of the AC 45’s of old, lol.

It’s almost starting to look normal to me…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCPN8Dict7Q&w=560&h=315]

Video courtesy of John Navas Video's YouTube feed.

45.8 knots!?  How much faster will the 72 go (or are they 62’s?) ? Unreal! I have to say, that even though I was a bit of a pessimist about these new spaceship type multi-hulls, mostly because I miss the old, slow mono-hulls of yesteryear, dragging through the water at a measly 15 knots, I am anxious to see more…

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2 Comments

  1. It’s a big scandal here in New Zealand! Dean Barker has been our idol for a long time and it feels like it has been poorly handled by the management, well at least that’s how the media have portrayed it.
    Interesting times ahead!!

    1. I am sure… It is a big scandal in the sailing world. Is that where you are Viki, NZ? So cool, my wife and I long to go there. Clearly Team NZ showed no tact in their decision. Typical of big companies. I hope he gets his own team and boat. I am looking forward to what happens next =0).