Cup Experience

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

By

Olympian Performances

Every America’s Cup sailor in Rio went home with a gold or silver medal!

Last week I reported that Giles Scott of Land Rover BAR – had already clinched the gold medal in the Finn class, before the medal race.

unnamed

In the 49er, Kiwis Peter Burling and Blair Tuke clinched gold with two(!) races to spare. Artemis Racing’s Australians Nathan Outteridge andIain Jensen took silver. The Kiwis and the Aussies now each have one gold and one silver in the 49er – the order was reversed in 2012 in London.

unnamed (1)

In the Nacra 17 mixed multihull, SoftBank Team Japan’s Jason Waterhouse

of Australia took the silver medal with his cousin Lisa Darmanin as crew. Argentinian Santiago Lange, age 54, took the gold with his crew Cecilia Carranza Saroli. Lange helmed one of Artemis Racing’s AC45’s during the 2011-13 America’s Cup World Series.

Lisa Darmanin and Jason Waterhouse
Lisa Darmanin and Jason Waterhouse

Gemma Jones helmed New Zealand’s Nacra 17 to a win in the medal race with crew Jason Saunders. They finished fourth overall. Gemma is the daughter of America’s Cup Hall of Famer Murray Jones.

This photo, circa 2006 shows Gemma, about age 12, on the wheel of Alinghi's America's Cup Class yacht in Valencia. This lady clearly likes to helm. Photo courtesy Murray Jones.
This photo, circa 2006 shows Gemma, about age 12, on the wheel of Alinghi’s America’s Cup Class yacht in Valencia. This lady clearly likes to helm. Photo courtesy Murray Jones.

By

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.

unnamed

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.

By

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.

By

BAR’s Daggerboards: Controls, Cages, Construction

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

Screen Shot 2016-08-09 at 2.10.25 AM

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.

unnamed (6)

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.

unnamed (7)

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

unnamed (8)

Daggerboard control systems

unnamed (9)

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

unnamed (10)

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

unnamed (11)

“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.

unnamed (12)

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

 

By

BAR’s Four Test Boats

Originally, the Protocol limited teams to three test boats, but that restriction was removed later. BAR is the only team to have built four test boats.

  • T1 – modified AC45 platform, launched in October 2014, useful when training for AC World Series
  • T2 – Launched in December 2015, now a museum piece in the “Tech Deck.” Capsized soon after launch with serious damage to the wing. Designed when the AC62 Rule was in place, the boat had struts and cables rather than a central “pod”.
  • T3 – layout very similar to the 49 foot long “AC Class” yachts that will race in 2017, launched in April 2016.
  • T4 – very similar (identical?) to T3, launched in late May 2016 with no public announcement.

To my knowledge T3 and T4 have not sailed together.

Screen Shot 2016-08-09 at 1.58.46 AM

Ben Ainslie shows Duchess of Cambridge “T2” in the Tech Deck museum.