Category: NYYC

1983 America’s Cup, when the right thing happened

going to the finish

rounding the first leeward mark

liberty

australia II

before the start

the morning after

Marble House

the CUP in 1983

1983, a date in America’s Cup history that will forever be remembered. The unthinkable happened. the New York Yacht Club and the United States lost a cup that they had held since 1851 (having won it as an upstart nation)
   For me, the right thing happened for all the wrong reasons. As hard as it was to see then, the America’s Cup had outgrown the New York Yacht Club. This forced change breathed new life into the competition. People can think that it was the cause of the problems we have seen since, I do not believe this to be true. It would have happened anyway. It is the world we live in. Change always comes difficultly.
   Newport, oddly was routing for the underdog, Australia,. This was spiting your face by cutting off your nose. Tourism in Newport was closely tied to the America’s Cup.
   Another thought, “Liberty” led the seventh and final race for five of the six legs. sailing brilliantly against a clearly strong rival. “Liberty” was not a slow boat, just not a faster boat. The Australian boat was using Ian Howlett’s bendy mast, giving them “free” sail area. The wing keel was probably more a psychological weapon than an effective design improvement. It was long from being understood. It did make a stiffer boat allowing a lower lead package.
  Curiously, the C-class may be facing the same sort of challenge to change, For so long being the step-sister, they may now find themselves in the center of significant changes, namely the America’s Cup in multihulls.

   Where is “LIberty” today??

1983 America’s Cup, when the right thing happened

going to the finish

rounding the first leeward mark

liberty

australia II

before the start

the morning after

Marble House

the CUP in 1983

1983, a date in America’s Cup history that will forever be remembered. The unthinkable happened. the New York Yacht Club and the United States lost a cup that they had held since 1851 (having won it as an upstart nation)
   For me, the right thing happened for all the wrong reasons. As hard as it was to see then, the America’s Cup had outgrown the New York Yacht Club. This forced change breathed new life into the competition. People can think that it was the cause of the problems we have seen since, I do not believe this to be true. It would have happened anyway. It is the world we live in. Change always comes difficultly.
   Newport, oddly was routing for the underdog, Australia,. This was spiting your face by cutting off your nose. Tourism in Newport was closely tied to the America’s Cup.
   Another thought, “Liberty” led the seventh and final race for five of the six legs. sailing brilliantly against a clearly strong rival. “Liberty” was not a slow boat, just not a faster boat. The Australian boat was using Ian Howlett’s bendy mast, giving them “free” sail area. The wing keel was probably more a psychological weapon than an effective design improvement. It was long from being understood. It did make a stiffer boat allowing a lower lead package.
  Curiously, the C-class may be facing the same sort of challenge to change, For so long being the step-sister, they may now find themselves in the center of significant changes, namely the America’s Cup in multihulls.

   Where is “LIberty” today??

C-class August 27 2010

harbour court 8 27 10

“Invictus” airbus team

match race, “canaan” “orion”

tug of war

A morning northerly and sunshine greeted everyone. It seemed to reflect the spirits ashore. The top two boats were paired in match racing, “Canaan” is so fast, even if Glen Ashby and James Spithill won the start they were hard pressed to keep control.
    A little to windward of the start two tugs gave meaning to the words “tug of war” as they pulled against one another with force; to what end was unclear.

guy gurney, bob fisher, dan nerney, b. hovey

     It seems more and more likely that the next America’s Cup will be sailed in 72 foot  catamarans, in Valencia, Spain.

   This likely means that the C-class will become the test and training platform for the next contest. It will change the C-class forever despite what those involved think.  Too many people involved in the America’s Cup have come to this event, designers, engineers, sailors, heads of syndicates. 

C-class Catamarans are in Newport

wings in the mule barn

duncan measuring

It is raining, the rigs are in the mule barn at Ft. Adams being measured by none other than Duncan MacLean.
  Racing starts tomorrow, weather permitting. Unfortunately the forecast may not be what anyone hoped for; that’s sailboat racing. It does not diminish the excitement of having these boats assembled in one place.
  Paul Larsen and Helena Darvilia are here with “Invictus” the Airbus entry. Steve Clark with his new boat and old rig having had teething problems with the new one. Steve Killing’s design, the defender, is here. The French have chartered “Patient Lady IV”.

Team Racing

I have long been a proponent of Team Racing, particularly at the interscholastic and intercollegiate levels. It is a team sport, which involves more participation. I feel that the emphasis placed on the A & B skippers is gone too far and diminishes the sense of team.

   I still keep many fond memories of college sailing. We thought of it as competitive, but pales by today’s standards. Still I liked what we did and the fun we had.

  In little less than a month I am looking forward to sailing a team racing event. Short courses, lots of starts, no ratings, teamwork on the boat as important as that of the team.
  
The Chicago Mackinac Race starts tomorrow, wind at the start diminishing over the next 24-30 hours and filling for the small boats; as it looks now. A great race.

Larry turns 75, final day of the spring regatta

The day started with a birthday celebration for Larry huntington’s 75th birthday, before leaving the dock for the final day of racing.  Motoring out to the rendezvous position, welcomed by a shifting breeze which would tease us for the better part of the day. Finally settling near North, we sailed one race and had no time for more. On the way in the fog cleared and the wind strengthened. Such is life. Great weekend, Bermuda race Friday.

NYYC SPRING REGATTA ON SNOW LION

Saturday’s racing for us was outside, while the Classics sailed north of Gould Island.  We had 8-12 knots from the WSW. windward-leeward courses. Occasionally exciting as we were on the same course with the much bigger, much faster boats, Above is an example, RAN is overtaking us going at least 15 knots, we are sailing 8.5 knots. Gauging crossings with boats that accelerate so quickly is almost impossible. Great sailing, the fleets leave no room for error.
Below our race committee, thanks for a great day on the water. Of course the dinner Saturday night under the tent at Harbour Court, is the social event of the weekend.

Round the Island Race

 
Milling about smartly, was how the day began. The race committee was able to start us after a brief delay, waiting for the wind to fill. Some how the round the island race pleases me; There are some tides and wind to play, along with obstacles.
We were able to keep the boat going at or near her polars, so we may have done well; I really have no idea.
The buoy racing the next two days I find less interesting in handicap racing. Level racing is another story. The sun came out as we hit the dock after racing was done for the day.

NEW YORK YACHT CLUB SPRING REGATTA 2010

Today is the round the island race, followed by the NYYC spring regatta saturday and sunday. The start of the Bermuda race is one week away. All the boats are in Newport, This event has become a huge meet and greet.
     Abby Sunderland has been rescued from the Indian Ocean after having been dismasted, the details of which will filter out with time. While I would not have ever sent one of my children off on this adventure, I do not have a strong opinion about whether her family acted in her best interests. To follow Abby’s blog click HERE.

TRIM TABS AND BUSTLES 1967

Remember that 1958 saw the first 12 meters built since before world war II. Now the America’s Cup is into it’s fourth event since 1937.
    Tank testing has shown that the concept of a trim tab with a rudder much further aft would be a breakthrough. Other boats would add bustle, ie. additional displacement aft but S&S who carried out design modifications on ” Columbia” could not reveal what they had done in the design for “Intrepid”.
“Columbia” was capably steered by Bill Ficker, who kept her in the game until the end.
   “Intrepid” would loose only once during the entire summer. She could outmanoeuvre the competition with ease. As far as I could tell most of the starts I saw, she would “sandbag” and still get to the weather mark first.  It should be noted the Bus Mosbacher was helmsman and probably the finest of his generation.
       “Dame Pattie” designed by Warrick Hood, might have been a worthy challenger had the defender been more like “Constellation”

      With each defense came new ideas.  As new information was developed, the problem was how to interpret properly that new information.