Americas Cup AC-45 in Newport

[NoBozo]

This is NOT about the Lakes Region but I know the Webmaster is interested. Newport Rhode Island is NOW hosting the runup to the Americas Cup Competition in San Fransisco Next Summer. The BIG race in San Fran will be in AC-72 Wingsailed Catamarans.

The boats NOW in Newport are AC 45 Wingsail catamarans. I saw them today. There are a total of Nine boats..ALL Exactly the same...Two American boats... and the other 7 boats challenging from other countries.......including South Korea.

Google AC-45 That will get you a lot of stuff...including Videos.

There MAY Be a way YOU....Up there in NH can see this live on the computer. Google "TurnTo10.Com" This has been advertised on our local TV..but I havn't found anything useful so far. NB

[NoBozo]

Hull Length - 13.45 m (44 feet)
Maximum Beam - 6.90 m (22.6 feet)
Mast Height - 21.50 m (70.5 feet)
Maximum Draft - 2.70 m (8.8 feet)
Displacement - 1400 kgs (3,086 pounds)
Wing Area - 85 sqm (914 square feet)
Jib Area - 48 sqm (516 square feet)
Gennaker Area - 125 sqm (1,345 square feet)
Crew - 5 people @ 85 kgs/person (187 pounds)


NB

EDIT: The most interesting SPEC to me. .IS the displacement (Weight). My Toyote Tacoma weighs 1000 pounds MORE than this boat.

[NoBozo]

Here is one picture of the boat hanging under the crane just prior to launch. Just ONE skinny wire holding everything off the ground. This operation reminds me of Le Mans.....Or Formula 1.

Every boat has a garage/hanger where the boat will be stored for the night. The mast is taken off the boat and the boat rollled into its garage on dollies. On short notice....the boat can be put on a mooring where it will weathercock to the wind...while other boats are launched by crane. The wing sail can NOT rotate 360 degrees. NB

[BroadHopper]

I will be in Providence for the next four days for a convention. I like to swing by Newport to see the boats. Will they be around Sunday?

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

I will be in Providence for the next four days for a convention. I like to swing by Newport to see the boats. Will they be around Sunday?

YES: They are racing Sunday from 2:00 Pm to 4:30 PM. The BIG (Final) race is next Wednesday.

I will PM you. NB

[Pineedles]

We were in Newport last weekend for my son's wedding and I was amazed at the height of some of the masts on the boats in the harbor. I was told the past Americas' cup winner was in the harbor and was visible as we traversed to and from Goat Island, but I couldn't identify her.

[NoBozo]

Originally Posted by Pineedles

We were in Newport last weekend for my son's wedding and I was amazed at the height of some of the masts on the boats in the harbor. I was told the past Americas' cup winner was in the harbor and was visible as we traversed to and from Goat Island, but I couldn't identify her.

There are MANY Past Americas Cup winners in Newport. INTREPID, COURAGEOUS, ....The list goes on: They are the Old 12 Metres. They are now Ride Boats. You can go out on one of your choice for about $125 for two hours.

The REALLY Tall masts are the MEGA Yachts. They are Cruising Yachts and RACING Yachts. Some of them..I call them SLEDS ...(Monohulls up to 120+ feet) can reach speeds of 26 Knots. The Newport to Bermuda Race winner this summer was one of those. 635 Nautical Miles in 35 hours....I think.

Newport is the Yachting Capitol Of the World.

If you eliminate the TAXES: They Will Come. RI did that a few yeaars ago. NB

[webmaster]

Originally Posted by NoBozo

This is NOT about the Lakes Region but I know the Webmaster is interested.

OK, I'll admit that I stayed up all night for a month watching Star & Stripes win the cup back in Freemantle in 1987. My wife had just met me and thought I was nuts. Have you been talking to her?

Being the premier sailing event in the world I think it is of interest to our sailors and other boaters and deserves a thread.

[NoBozo]

I've been reading the Local stuff about this Americas Cup (AC) event. $$$$ I went down to Fort Adams last week and had a look. I Have NO IDEA what's going on.

WHAT Do YOU..as an Observer, Tourist.. have to PAY... TO SEE WHAT.........and where. I still don't know.

The RI Economic Developement Corp set this AC thing up. The BIG Cheese of the RIEDC..Keith Stokes... RESIGNED (3 weeks ago) OVER THE BIG Controversy over the "38 Studios" (Curt Schilling) thing where Rhode Island loaned Curt Schilling (2 years ago) 75 MILLION dollars to make Video Games...IN Rhode Island. "38 Studios" went Bankrupt last week.

SO: The EDC is in disarray.............. NB

SO: Who is running this RIEDC AC thing...??

It Really Doesn't Matter. THIS IS Rhode Island. I am ashamed. BTW. Earlier estimates of Turnout for this event were 90,000. Todays Providence Sunday Journal says the estimate of turnout will be more likely 60,000.

[garysanfran]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjwY6O2zE0E

Sailed these waters for 18 years. It can be a challenge!

[NoBozo]

Newport is NOT San Fran when it comes to sailing. Newport ...is ...well...Docile...Much more steady....predictable.. NB

[NoBozo]

The Americas Cup: The 12s in Newport: TODAY

The Americas Cup 12s in Newport were run from 1958 through 1983. Below are listed the 12s that defended the cup, as well as the other 12s that participated, but did not defend the cup. Listed also are previous 12s that were built before 1958... and came before the AGE of the 12s in the Americas Cup.... BUT are still in Newport operating as Ride Boats.

Pay particular Attention to the SAIL Numbers. For Example: !2-US-22 Is Intrepid.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
12-US-11 Gleam (1937) Newport Ride Boat
12-US-12 Nyala (1938)
12-US-14 Northern Light (1938) Newport Ride Boat
12-US-15 Vim (1939)
12-US-16 Columbia. (1958). Successful Americas Cup Defender (1958) Newport Ride Boat
12-US-17 Weatherly (1958) .. Successful Americas Cup Defender (1962) Newport Ride Boat
12-US-18 Easterner (1958) Newport Ride Boat
12-US-19 Nefertiti (1962) Newport Ride Boat
12-US-20 Constellation (1964) Successful Americas Cup Defender (1964)
12-US-21 American Eagle (1964) Newport Ride Boat. See NOTE Below
12-US-22 Intrepid (1967) Successful Americas Cup Defender (1967) (1970) Newport Ride Boat
12-US-23 Heritage (1970) Newport Ride Boat
12-US-24 Valliant (1970)
12-US-25 Mariner (1974) (Destroyed)
12-US-26 Courageous (1974) Successful Americas Cup Defender . (1974) (1977) Newport Ride Boat
12-US-28 Clipper (1980)
12-US-30 Freedom (1980) Successful Americas Cup Defender (1980) Newport Ride Boat.
12-US-40 Liberty (1983) ....LOST THE CUP for the first time in 132 years.
12-US-55 Stars And Stripes (1987) WINS Back The Cup from Australia. (The AGE of the 12s IS OVER.)

NOTE: American Eagle: Bought later by Ted Turner who took the boat Ocean Racing... To start..The Trans Atlantic..His Critics said..YOU Can't take a 12 Meter Ocean Racing.....He did it anyway. ...and WON.


To the best of my knowledge, this compilation on my part over decades is correct. NB

[laketrout]

3000+lbs that's the weight of my 23' boat.
Americas cup has to do something radical, as I read a NY Times article on the Cup. Its a dead sport & sailing in General.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/28/sp...pagewanted=all

NBC is broadcasting the races and providing interactive computer updates so the non sailor can Learn and enjoy a faster paced sport, supposedly The new Cats can capasize! Reminds me of Hobie Cat racing off Hampton NH beach in the 80's.

George

[NoBozo]

I watched it Live on TV yesterday afternoon on Ch 10.2 (Not cable) in Providence. It's WILD, and the coverage was excellent...from the air, chase boats and On Board. These boats are very prone to capsize. One did yesterday and destroyed the wing. The racing runs from about 2-4:PM. I tuned in late. The TV station says you can also watch it Live online: I'm going to try that this afternoon to see if it works. NB

http://www2.turnto10.com/news/live_video/

EDIT: Time..12 noon-3:30+

[NoBozo]

The GOOD News is: I got to watch the races again today on "over the air" Local NBC TV. (Not Cable)

The BAD news is... the computer link I provided above didn't work.

ALSO: The stinkin Times that I provided ..taken from a local website were ALSO inaccurate........Dare I say Bogus.**

In REAL Life..the races run LIVE from 2:30 PM to 4:00 PM. Try to watch...SOMEHOW..

** I Do Not.. EVER have an opinion..on anything. NB

[NoBozo]

I HOPE .......some of you have had the oportunity to see this racing. I watched it again today on Local NBC TV (Antenna). The breeze was excellent. 15-18 knots. temp about 88 degrees. It was "fleet" racing today. 7 boats racing around the course together. TWO consecutive races....2:30 to 4:00 Pm..LIVE.

I trully believe watching this racing is BEST seen on TV. ...Sports Bar..BIG Screen...at Home.....whatever. Watching from land is nice I guess...but you will have no idea whats going on...even if you know sail racing. The rules for this racing are a little different. The upwind and downwind marks used to be ONE mark. You rounded it in ONE direction. NOW there are TWO marks at each end..so you can break Right OR Left around either mark. TV coverage does it all.

Fort Adams has a Max capacity of 10.000 people PER DAY. Yesterday they had 7,400. Today looked like more. Bring your chairs..NO umbrellas..No Coolers..No food. There are consessions for that.

Tomorrow is the BIG (last) day. Oracle (Mr.Spithill..the skipper) USA is the favorite.

This last day (Sunday) MAY be on a larger NBC coverage.

PS: The boat that capsized two days ago and trashed their WING won the last fleet race today. Emerates New Zeeland. NB

PPS; This is NOT your grandmothers sailing. They had MAX "Speed Trails" ..Each boat running through speed traps..something like a measured mile......a couple of boats ran over 25 knots...almost 30 MPH.

[SIKSUKR]

Well I just happened to catch an hour of the tv coverage and I must say that it was by far the most watchable yacht racing I have ever seen.Those hobie's really can fly.I was very impressed at how close they could get to the boat marking the turn.Some looked like only a few feet.

[BroadHopper]

No coverage. I sure hope this state remove the requirements that each town has to select a cable company. All companies should compete in all markets. Create competition!

[garysanfran]

Can't wait to watch this. NBC will be carrying it live and I'll be standing on The Embarcadero.

[NoBozo]

I watched the TV coverage (Newport) the first two days TV Coverage was offered, on an obscure Local NBC (antenna) channel. Locally it's called ME-TV. The coverage was the same as you saw on NBC on Sunday.....Graphics wise.. EXCEPT

EXCEPT: The coverage I saw on the little mickey mouse local channel had NO COMMERCIALS at all. The NBC Coverage on Sunday had commercials every 4.6 minutes..during the races. I was not Not impressed..but then..I am a just a cranky old SOB.

The wind on Sunday was LIGHT so the Action was really not there.....regardless of what the commentators were saying..... Their job is to Pump Up the anticipation..That's OK. The ACTION (WIND) on Sunday was ...LIMP. That's my Final Report: NB

PS: The AC-45s have a crew of 5..+ an observer. The AC-72s will have a crew of 11..garnered from these guys. :C

[brk-lnt]

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

No coverage. I sure hope this state remove the requirements that each town has to select a cable company. All companies should compete in all markets. Create competition!

This has been brought up before... It's never going to happen, the population density is WAY too low for multiple MSO's to build cable plants in the area.