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Americas Cup

Larksea

First XV
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New Zealand
man, awesome first race and what a day on the water.

what Team NZ have done is just awesome. Part of me hates the Americas cup but its become part of NZ DNA. There really isn't much above The Americas cup in terms or world sport, Billions of Dollars and the eyes of the world.

And at this stage NZ are white hot favorites to win in back.
 
3 - 0 to team NZ

no one else interested? history in the making here...
 
I caught some highlights on tv earlier, it's insane what those boats are capable of.

Which team is Ben Ainslie a member of? I think it was featured on Top Gear, that he was skippering one of the teams.
 
I caught some highlights on tv earlier, it's insane what those boats are capable of.

Which team is Ben Ainslie a member of? I think it was featured on Top Gear, that he was skippering one of the teams.

Oracle, but he was skipper of one of the smaller AC-45 boats, not the big AC-72 rigs being used in the America's Cup.

The Yanks won race 4 by 8 seconds so the score is 3 - 1 now, but in truth, its 3 - -1, as Oracle started the finals series with a 2 race penalty for cheating.
 
Loved watching the highlights, when they turn with the wind and become hydrofoils(?)

They're basically aircraft connected to the sea by a couple of slim carbon rods.
 
These boats are incredible. I think the Cup needs to come back to New Zealand and we should do a lot better job of hosting it.
 
bit of a reality check with oracle getting a win.

TNZ still has the advantage.

I think we are in a situation where:

if TNZ win the start, it's basically game over. Oracle have not shown that they can make up distance on TNZ
Oracle will be super aggressive from the windward side every start to either push TNZ out or draw a penalty - they simply have to win the start well to have a chance to win the race.
TNZ have two come from behind wins, so the start is not as important for them. That said they cant give too much away, that 4th start was really bad and they ended up further behind than when they had to serve a slowdown penalty.
If TNZ give too much away at the start and have an average or below performance Oracle can stay ahead.

hard to know how much to read into the Oracle win, TNZ mad mistakes they would not normally make and Oracle seemed to get lucky with shifts.

Overall
Oracle seem to have a slight advantage in speed down wind.
TNZ have a more significant advantage upwind
TNZ are much better in dog fights, the boat is more agile and accelerates faster so when they get into tactical duals TNZ owns Oracle.
 
and then Oracle chickened out of the second one, no point managing to defend it f you loose all your support, i hear the american people ( those that are interested) are turning on Oracle due to their antics
 
I only watched the two first days. An absolute thriller. Couldn't watch yesterday but will check the highlights. go TNZ!!!
 
epic couple of days racing

yesterday the TNZ challenge almost came undone in a matter of moments as the boat went up to 45 degrees and then came down. If she went over it would have been game over.

NZ were ahead when it happened but Oracle obviously won that race as teh NZ boat was dead in the water for some time after the indecent.

The 2nd race yesterday TNZ looked powerful after a great start and clocked up 30mph up wind just as the race was abandoned because of strong winds, massive blow for TNZ.

and today's races were 1 all, Oracle clearly won the start big time in the first race and held on to win. 2nd race TNZ won after a close start that TNZ turned into an advantage - look forward to watching that one on mysky.

My feeling is that the conditions of the last two days favor Oracle and even the boats up but in General TNZ still have a small but important speed advantage. Seems like for oracle to win they need a dominant start or a major mistake/failure from TNZ

The 2nd race win was critical. means the pressure is back on Oracle, they need 8 wins and TNZ need 2

One good day and the Cup could be coming to NZ!

It should mean that We just need two good starts from Barker with clean races from the crew. And I think Barker/TNZ have won 4 of the last 5 starts they are in a good space. Spithill won many of the early starts but barker has been better in recent races.

This finals series has become one of the most dramatic and intense battles ive seen in all sport full stop. Emphasized by the confidence and cool/calm heads of TNZ and the shear do or die no holds bard all or nothing approach of Spithill/Oracle
 
epic couple of days racing

yesterday the TNZ challenge almost came undone in a matter of moments as the boat went up to 45 degrees and then came down. If she went over it would have been game over.

NZ were ahead when it happened but Oracle obviously won that race as teh NZ boat was dead in the water for some time after the indecent.

The 2nd race yesterday TNZ looked powerful after a great start and clocked up 30mph up wind just as the race was abandoned because of strong winds, massive blow for TNZ.

and today's races were 1 all, Oracle clearly won the start big time in the first race and held on to win. 2nd race TNZ won after a close start that TNZ turned into an advantage - look forward to watching that one on mysky.

My feeling is that the conditions of the last two days favor Oracle and even the boats up but in General TNZ still have a small but important speed advantage. Seems like for oracle to win they need a dominant start or a major mistake/failure from TNZ

The 2nd race win was critical. means the pressure is back on Oracle, they need 8 wins and TNZ need 2

One good day and the Cup could be coming to NZ!

It should mean that We just need two good starts from Barker with clean races from the crew. And I think Barker/TNZ have won 4 of the last 5 starts they are in a good space. Spithill won many of the early starts but barker has been better in recent races.

This finals series has become one of the most dramatic and intense battles ive seen in all sport full stop. Emphasized by the confidence and cool/calm heads of TNZ and the shear do or die no holds bard all or nothing approach of Spithill/Oracle

Apparently Aotearoa came with 0.2° of going right over. You can't get much closer than that!
I'd be happy to share the races one each for he next two racing days!:carrot:
 
yeah that was dramatic, but it wasn't that close. Ive heard that as long as the wing isn't in the water they can be recovered probably if there is good wind and there obviously was that day - so they could have recovered from more than 45 degrees.

still bloody scary.
 
Very excited to watch todays races. I have been watching most of them resulting in so much positive stress and afterwards couldn't catch any more sleep.
 
Oracle can't complain, the two races that have been called off because of the wind limit - TNZ were in a strong position in both.

That pretty much evens up the 2 race penalty they had.
 
Oracle can't complain, the two races that have been called off because of the wind limit - TNZ were in a strong position in both.

That pretty much evens up the 2 race penalty they had.

I think that is hilarious.

It was Coutts and Oracle that kicked up a big fuss about wind speed after the fatal crash of Artemis that killed the british sailor "Bart" Simpson. They hid the wind speed limit in long list of regulation changes under the "safety" banner because they thought they would be slower than Luna Rossa and Aoteroa in higher wind speeds. (the Kiwis had practised at wind speeds of 35kt in Auckland, achieving boat speed of almost 50kts with little difficulty)

Now that they find they can match, and are slightly faster than Aotearoa at higher wind speeds, they want the limit raised.
 
well its now 3 races that have been called off 2 for high wind limit and 1 for a time limit. TNZ in a strong position in all three.

Can also say that Oracles use of the postponement card has saved them as well at a time where performance and conditions favored NZ heavenly.

but with 1-4 races left things are not looking so good for TNZ Oracle seem to have a clear edge overall in terms of boat speed in the most likely band of wind conditions.

its 4 races left but the reality is you can almost say its two races left. Because TNZ will have the favored port entry for the start in the next two races. IMO TNZ NEED TO CONVERT one of these. I think if it comes down to the last two races and Oracle have port entry then they will almost be a sure bet to win it.

I want to think all TNZ need is a good start, get ahead and a couple of good wind shifts in one race and they can win. But every race it seems to be getting harder and harder. I simply cant watch anymore. Im just going tio mysky it and watch and enjoy it if we win. To lose from the dominant position TNZ were in doesn't bear thinking about.
 
TNZ should just finish it. Instead Oracle is getting closer to a draw and a possible huge comeback win.
 
Now the series are drawn. TNZ blew away a lead of 7 points and tonight is the deciding moment. One of the biggest moments in t's history.
I reckon Oracle will easily overclass the Kiwi's although I sincerely hope they will find a way to win the cup.
 

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