Cup Experience

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

By

Photos: OTUSA speed mods

Even in the midst of the competition, the teams continue to develop their boats with modifications to make them faster.

America's Cup In Race 1 OTUSA used daggerboards with the winglets set at an acute angle to the main board. This makes foiling more stable but has more drag.
In Race 1 OTUSA used daggerboards with the winglets set at an acute angle to the main board. This makes foiling more stable but has more drag.
America's Cup OTUSA in Race 1 with the longer bowsprit. Notice the kingpost below the corner of the jib, and the stay from the bottom of the kingpost to the end of the bowsprit.
OTUSA in Race 1 with the longer bowsprit. Notice the kingpost below the corner of the jib, and the stay from the bottom of the kingpost to the end of the bowsprit.
America's Cup Race 8 OTUSA
By Race 8 OTUSA had made modifications to the boat including replacing the long bowsprit that could carry a gennaker with a shorter one. This eliminated the weight and drag of the bowsprit plus a kingpost and a stay. Different daggerboards have the winglets set at an obtuse angle to the main board. This gives less drag, making the boat faster, but it is less stable and harder to sail.

By

Momentum shifted back to ETNZ in Race 10

Dean Barker led ETNZ back to winning ways in Race 10 in perhaps the most hard fought race in America’s Cup history. During the race, each team tacked seven times and gybed seven times. On the upwind leg, the boats met seven times and the lead changed three times.

OTUSA’s top speed in the race was an incredible 44.98 knots! ETNZ hit a top speed of 43.01 knots.

“It was very important to bounce back after the first race; the Oracle boat sailed a great race and gave us no opportunities,” said Barker. “The second race was close across the first reach; they touched the water once, which gave us the lead at the mark. We felt strong at the bottom mark but they sailed a good upwind leg and were right there at the top.”

Watch the video of the pre-start and first leg.

Look carefully during the first leg and you’ll see the splash when OTUSA came off the foils and touched down. That allowed ETNZ to get an overlap and rights to the inside lane at the mark. Without the overlap, OTUSA would have been able to shut the door on ETNZ at the mark.  … and the outcome of the race might have been very different!
Video: ACTV

By

Oracle led from start to finish in Race 9

America's Cup Skipper Jimmy Spithill did a masterful job in the pre-start, gaining a position to leeward of Emirates Team New Zealand late in the 2-minute sequence and preventing the Kiwis from entering the racecourse.

Skipper Jimmy Spithill did a masterful job in the pre-start, gaining a position to leeward of Emirates Team New Zealand late in the 2-minute sequence and preventing the Kiwis from entering the racecourse. Spithill and crew led at the first mark by 4 seconds and then sped away from the challenger, gaining time on every leg of the course with their new found boatspeed.

Watch the pre-start:
Video: ACTV

All images below: ACTV

America's Cup The port tack boat, OTUSA, may enter the start box 10 seconds ahead of the starboard tack boat, ETNZ.
The port tack boat, OTUSA, may enter the start box 10 seconds ahead of the starboard tack boat, ETNZ.
America's Cup ETNZ turns to follow OTUSA. Both boats still going away from the starting line.
ETNZ turns to follow OTUSA. Both boats still going away from the starting line.
America's Cup OTUSA starts their turn back to the starting line. The yellow line is the "layline" to the downwind end of the starting line. If you sail below that, normally you would be slow or need to tack twice to get back to the starting line.
OTUSA starts their turn back to the starting line. The yellow line is the “layline” to the downwind end of the starting line. If you sail below that, normally you would be slow or need to tack twice to get back to the starting line.
America's Cup With under 30 seconds to go, both boats are below the layline.
With under 30 seconds to go, both boats are below the layline.
America's Cup There was a strong ebb tide (the blue arrows) that carried the boats back above the lay line.
There was a strong ebb tide (the blue arrows) that carried the boats back above the lay line.
America's Cup The tide has carried both boats back above the layline and OTUSA has control, as the leeward (right of way) boat. With the clock showing one second it's clear both will be late to the line, but in match racing that is not important.
The tide has carried both boats back above the layline and OTUSA has control, as the leeward (right of way) boat. With the clock showing one second it’s clear both will be late to the line, but in match racing that is not important.
America's Cup The gun has gone off - notice that the LiveLine graphics have turned the start line white. Spithill in OTUSA is luffing Barker in ETNZ to hold him away from the line.
The gun has gone off – notice that the LiveLine graphics have turned the start line white. Spithill in OTUSA is luffing Barker in ETNZ to hold him away from the line.
America's Cup Spithill has turned towards Mark 1 and speeds off, over 6 knots faster and well ahead of Barker. ETNZ was never able to recover and OTUSA led the race from start to finish.
Spithill has turned towards Mark 1 and speeds off, over 6 knots faster and well ahead of Barker. ETNZ was never able to recover and OTUSA led the race from start to finish.

 

By

Score: New Zealand 7 – USA 1

Racing has been close, and OTUSA has found new speed and won three races. But their two point penalty from the International Jury means they still need to win eight to keep the Cup, while ETNZ needs only two more wins to take it back to Auckland.

Nine points are required to win the America’s Cup Match.

By

Momentum shift in Race 8?

OTUSA continues to modify their boat, searching for speed. On Saturday 14 September they seem to have found a faster configuration. They removed the longer bowsprit since they do not use their big downwind sail, the gennaker, in the strong winds we have been seeing. During the press conference, skipper Jimmy Spithill said there were other changes we cannot see, and more changes yet to come.

Video: ACTV

 

America's Cup A good view of the shorter bowsprit on OTUSA

A good view of the shorter bowsprit on OTUSA. They were faster upwind and more efficient when tacking in Race 8. Have they found the formula to grab the winning momentum away from ETNZ?

ETNZ had been consistently stronger on the upwind legs with more speed and better crew work in the tacks. In racing on Thursday 12 September, they gained over 50 seconds on the upwind leg in each of Race 6 and Race 7. (The America’s Cup race course has only one upwind leg.)

But OTUSA may now have shifted the momentum of the Match by winning Saturday’s Race 8. For the first time Oracle was faster than the Kiwis upwind, and their crew work looked much sharper. Will they be able to keep winning on Sunday 15 September?