...FIRST YOU HAVE TO FINISH Aug 26, 18:07
We will leave the carnage details to the other reports and websites. No doubt that will be the story du jour. Suffice to say that today was proof yet again that, to win the Cup, you need fast boats, well sailed, that don't break.
Or as they say in Formula One, to finish first, first you have to finish.
As far as I am aware, there were only one or two very minor problems on 76, inevitable in the 20-25 knot breeze and bumpy conditions this afternoon. Yet another feather in the caps of our shore team who build and maintain our yachts, our design team (who normally show us the way to robust equipment in the first place), as well as our sailing team (who managed to keep it all in one piece today while winning two races).
And, no surprise, the "big four" as the media like to call Alinghi, BMW ORACLE, Emirates Team NZ and Luna Rossa, are all on four wins. The Spanish are on two wins, and all the rest are on one win except China Team on zero.
One scary moment this afternoon was the brief appearance of a waterspout. It dropped out of a squall just to the south of the race course. Team Meteorologist Chris Bedford said the cold air that arrived behind last night's frontal passage produced today's windy, squally conditions as well as the waterspout -- a smallish tornado that sometimes develops over open water when temperature differentials are conducive. A waterspout can produce winds locally to 60 kts, but fortunately today's dissipated almost as soon as we saw it drop out of the clouds. Nonetheless, a bit of a shocker at the time.
Chris says that tomorrow there should still be plenty of breeze, but not quite as much -- in the teens not twenties. Should be perfekt for our matches against United Internet Team Germany and the "match of the day" against Alinghi.
Above, our Desafio Espanol neighbors after arriving back at the dock this
afternoon with broken boom. Shosholoza also broke a boom, the
German Team had mast problems and an injured crewman, the
Swedish Victory Challenge broke their headfoil in the race against
us (and they had to retire), China Team did a spectacular broach but
recovered from it and carried on. BMW ORACLE had an uneventful
day in the very difficult conditions.
Or as they say in Formula One, to finish first, first you have to finish.
As far as I am aware, there were only one or two very minor problems on 76, inevitable in the 20-25 knot breeze and bumpy conditions this afternoon. Yet another feather in the caps of our shore team who build and maintain our yachts, our design team (who normally show us the way to robust equipment in the first place), as well as our sailing team (who managed to keep it all in one piece today while winning two races).
And, no surprise, the "big four" as the media like to call Alinghi, BMW ORACLE, Emirates Team NZ and Luna Rossa, are all on four wins. The Spanish are on two wins, and all the rest are on one win except China Team on zero.
One scary moment this afternoon was the brief appearance of a waterspout. It dropped out of a squall just to the south of the race course. Team Meteorologist Chris Bedford said the cold air that arrived behind last night's frontal passage produced today's windy, squally conditions as well as the waterspout -- a smallish tornado that sometimes develops over open water when temperature differentials are conducive. A waterspout can produce winds locally to 60 kts, but fortunately today's dissipated almost as soon as we saw it drop out of the clouds. Nonetheless, a bit of a shocker at the time.
Chris says that tomorrow there should still be plenty of breeze, but not quite as much -- in the teens not twenties. Should be perfekt for our matches against United Internet Team Germany and the "match of the day" against Alinghi.
Above, our Desafio Espanol neighbors after arriving back at the dock this
afternoon with broken boom. Shosholoza also broke a boom, the
German Team had mast problems and an injured crewman, the
Swedish Victory Challenge broke their headfoil in the race against
us (and they had to retire), China Team did a spectacular broach but
recovered from it and carried on. BMW ORACLE had an uneventful
day in the very difficult conditions.
Racing | by TFE
