Blog Page – Page 22

August 15, 2016 By Jack Griffin

Rio Update

Congratulations to Giles Scott of Land Rover BAR – he has already clinched the gold medal in the Finn class, before the tomorrow’s medal race.

Peter Burling and Blair Tuke of Emirates Team New Zealand have an 18 point lead in the 49er, with three more races plus the medal race on Thursday. London gold medalists, Australians Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen of Artemis Racing are currently in third place behind Germans Heil and Ploessel.

Australian Jason Waterhouse of SoftBank Team Japan goes into tomorrow’s medal race in the Nacra 17 mixed multihull in fourth place with his crew Lisa Darmanin. Argentinian Santiago Lange, age 54, sits in first place with his crew Cecilia Carranza Saroli. Lange helmed one of Artemis Racing’s AC45’s during the 2011-13 America’s Cup World Series. The New Zealand Nacra 17 is helmed by Gemma Jones, daughter of America’s Cup Hall of Famer Murray Jones. Gemma and her crew Jason Saunders are in fifth place, in strong contention for a medal.

August 8, 2016 By Jack Griffin

Another AC Sailor in Rio / Olympic Race Calendar

Australian Olympic multi-hull sailor Jason Waterhouse will join SoftBank Team Japan after the 2016 games in Rio. He is currently the number three ranked sailor in the Nacra 17, the mixed multihull Olympic class. Waterhouse has sailed with Team Japan their AC45X test boat in Bermuda. He also has AC45 race experience, having been on the Australian team in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup in San Francisco in 2013.

We have plenty of reasons to follow the Olympic sailing this summer – Jason Waterhouse and his crew Lisa Darmanin are obviously favorites to medal in the Nacra 17 catamaran. Fellow Australians Nathan Outteridge and Iain Jensen of Artemis Racing will be battling to defend their 2012 gold medal in the 49er skiff against the current world champion Kiwis Peter Burling and Blair Tuke of Emirates Team New Zealand. In the Finn dinghy, Giles Scott of Land Rover BAR is the favorite for gold.

Olympic Sailing Schedule

Finn: racing begins tomorrow, 9 August. Medal Race 16 August.
Nacra 17: racing begins Wednesday 10 August. Medal Race 16 August.
49er: racing begins Friday, 12 August. Medal Race 18 August.

Full schedule available on the World Sailing site here.

August 8, 2016 By Jack Griffin

Spithill: Elbow Surgery Again

Jimmy Spithill, the Oracle Team USA skipper, recently tore a tendon in his left elbow and flew to California for an operation at the end of the Portsmouth regatta.

Last year he underwent surgery on his right elbow that he injured during the 2013 America’s Cup.

“Unfortunately I tore a tendon in my left elbow,” Spithill said. “The initial injury I did was on my right elbow during the 2013 America’s Cup. Like the previous injury we tried physio, cortisone, etc but after six months it had gotten worse and we decided to do it straight after Portsmouth.”

Spithill hopes to be ready to race at next month’s World Series regatta in Toulon.

August 8, 2016 By Jack Griffin

Toulon AC World Series Info

In just one month the ACWS moves to the south of France. Practice racing including match racing begins at 14:00 local time on Friday 9 September with official racing beginning at 14:30 on Saturday and Sunday, 10-11 September.

Ticket information for individuals, groups and for hospitality here.

August 8, 2016 By Jack Griffin

BAR’s Daggerboards: Controls, Cages, Construction

Daggerboard design and control systems will be key to winning the America’s Cup.

Daggerboard with a reverse curve in the vertical part, sailing in “T3” or “T4.” The reverse curve allows the underwater board tip to be at the maximum beam when fully lowered. With a straight board or C-shape, the cant control can also provide maximum beam.

Board tip – this part provides most of the lift. Why is it a separate piece? Originally the Protocol allowed teams to test more shapes if they built “two piece daggerboards” instead of “one piece daggerboards.” This tip was built with a “mortice and tenon” joint – the two vertical black bits are the tenon. The Protocol was changed when the measurers pointed out that there was no way to define clearly the difference between a one-piece and a two-piece board.

In the Tech Deck. These two photos show a daggerboard case from “T2.”

Daggerboard control systems

BAR’s “T1” on display in Portsmouth, daggerboards removed. You can see the daggerboard case and a control panel just forward of the winch.

Closeup of the control panel with buttons to raise and lower the daggerboards on either side of the boat.

“T1” is a modified AC45 platform with tiller steering, winches, no grinding pedestals and no cockpits. It has a center spine rather than a pod. The helmsman has a joystick to control board rake and a control panel for board cant.

Helmsman’s control panel with settings for four different modes and targets for heel (roll) and fore-aft pitch.