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34th America's cup boats OD?


shanson

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There's been some talk that the 34th AC will be raced using One Design boats, the design touted has been Russell's RC44's.

 

Personally I think this would be stupid as the AC has always been as much about the boats as the crew, and there seems to be quite a bit of OD racing anyway?

 

What are your thoughts?

 

SHANE

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where's the 'talk' been? I haven't seen it?

 

The closest thing I heard was when LE was asked what was the coolest boat he'd sailed on - he replied " I think the RC44 is a pretty cool boat, but if you ask me the coolest boat is that trimaran that sits not too far from here' (or words to that effect).

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I'm pretty sure that it was on the front page of SA but it's too old now.

 

So LE likes the boats, their RC's boats, BMW are the major sponsor of the current series and LE has confirmed (in the post race press interview) that AC34 will be raced on monos.

 

You don't have to stretch it too far to make the ends meet! :twisted:

 

SO you think it's a good idea or not?

 

SHANE

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RC44's nope. Can see them racing any day and mostly with the same crew that inhabit the AC as well.

 

Something innovative and certianly knot one-design. BORING

 

Box rule, let the designers have some fun as well.

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So something along the lines of an RC44 but to the 90' limit - that would make it an RC90 - one design I think not. I'm back to thinking that the AC should just be about state of the art and gettin' the gun. This close racing thing is just a myth go the 90' wing powered tris I say!

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So something along the lines of an RC44 but to the 90' limit - that would make it an RC90 - one design I think not. I'm back to thinking that the AC should just be about state of the art and gettin' the gun. This close racing thing is just a myth go the 90' wing powered tris I say!

 

So can the AC in favour of a speed week?

 

The AC must have close racing or it will just be a parade of very expensive yachts. And we'll get what just happened, the audience for R2 was mile below that for R1. People knew the result so didn't tune back in.

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AC34 should be a design and race competition, but limit the design box so that you do not get crazy differences (a bit like formula 1) and then possibly for AC35 change some of the design limits so that there is a further change and the existing teams do not get all the advantages.

 

Max LOA, Max beam, max sail areas (upwind and down wind), max number of hulls, max water ballast (manually shifted)

no max on rig height, no max draft, no engines at all!!!

 

What other criteria would provide enough room for innovation but still keep the racing from being a procession (which to me is boring)

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The AC must have close racing or it will just be a parade of very expensive yachts. And we'll get what just happened, the audience for R2 was mile below that for R1. People knew the result so didn't tune back in.

 

It mjustn't have anything, but the fastest yachts under the agreed rule/box, or 90' waterline if no agreement.

close racing is the result of development over time in a known rule/box, not the aim.

 

Close racing is a bonus, not an aim.

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I hear what you're saying KM but really when you think about it since 95 there's always been a boat clearly faster than the others (32nd was a little closer but Alinghi was still clearly quicker - TNZ was just a little smarter on the day). So the AC seems to have a bob each way - its neither a OD nor allows the freedom to build what the rule allows. I'm saying if you don't go OD then build the quickest thing you can under the DOG and rumble!

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So something along the lines of an RC44 but to the 90' limit - that would make it an RC90 - one design I think not. I'm back to thinking that the AC should just be about state of the art and gettin' the gun. This close racing thing is just a myth go the 90' wing powered tris I say!

 

So can the AC in favour of a speed week?

 

The AC must have close racing or it will just be a parade of very expensive yachts. And we'll get what just happened, the audience for R2 was mile below that for R1. People knew the result so didn't tune back in.

 

The reason the audience for R2 was so small is because they originally advertised the race for 10pm and it ended up starting 6.5 hours later.

It takes a very dedicated sports fan to overcome that obstacle.

Other sports start when they are advertised !

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I would go for a

 

single hull box rule (max OA, max B, max draft, max air draft),

max prod length 1.25J,

single soft sail mast,

fixed keel,

single vertical rotating appendage,

no electronics including computers etc etc, except for twa, tws, bs, all instruments to be single units, ie no combined outputs,

all manual power, no stored energy, except for instrument power.

 

 

Take it but to the sailors not the techos

 

Not sure at a min displacement, if you build to light and falls to bits, tuff st*h.

Racing wind range 5 to 25 knts.

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Box Rule, 12mtrs rings my bell

Scenario 1. Why limit these rich guys to rules and stifle "imagination, Technology, development and excitment.

 

let the ony rule be no motors!... and let star wars begin! or

 

scenario 2. have two rules...

 

1. A total spend cap of say 200 million (hard to police)

 

2. no motors!

 

or scenario 3. have one rule... No Motors and a... PEOPLE CAP!...

 

a team (total including builders)can only have 25 people! of which two must be designers! and the total boat "sailing crew" numbers are 10 max.

 

Everthing else goes!

 

 

Also throw a long offshore race into the event to keep them honest!

 

Bringing back slow mono hulls is not "now" or the "future"

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Agree Wolf but there were more than a few who didn't stay up as the end results was pretty obvious as well.

 

I don't really care what they use personally but if there is no 'race' don't all we have is a parade of very expensive yachts knot dissimilar to what just happened? That would be exciting and engaging for how many minutes, knot many I would suggest. But I suppose they would be cheap to run as you wouldn't need to pay flash crew, have a massive sail wardrobe and other racing essentials.

 

We seem to have come in a bit of a circle with the AC. We had slow, but in a graceful good looking way, 12mts which were swapping paint every few minutes all the way to serious fast bloody good lookers that regard 500mts separation as being close.

 

Gonna be interesting to see what AC 34 does eventually bring. All depends if they want substance or just bling. I hope they find a good spot a bit on the substance side of 1/2 way.

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Scenario 1. Why limit these rich guys to rules and stifle "imagination, Technology, development and excitment.

 

let the ony rule be no motors!... and let star wars begin! or

 

scenario 2. have two rules...

 

1. A total spend cap of say 200 million (hard to police)

 

2. no motors!

 

or scenario 3. have one rule... No Motors and a... PEOPLE CAP!...

 

a team (total including builders)can only have 25 people! of which two must be designers! and the total boat "sailing crew" numbers are 10 max.

 

Everthing else goes!

 

 

Also throw a long offshore race into the event to keep them honest!

 

Bringing back slow mono hulls is not "now" or the "future"

 

Possible

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