This AC Youth Program is getting out of balance from the initial proposal for youths to invest time and money on a possible bid. Monthly changes are a standard now on the requisites asked for the non seeded teams, more requirements are in place now like a mandatory training in a 30-40 foot cats previous the selection trials.
I think that item could be easily achieved if the organization gives the opportunity to the youth teams to hire the RB AC45 as an alternative for ie. As these teams will need to spend money either way to fulfill the request of having previous experience on bigger cats.
For the US Teams, great opportunity to train with Bundock, great experience for all the kids involved. The Multihull fever will catch on those not racing cats previously for sure.
"...Six crews entered the team selection trials, which included two-day training sessions at the ORACLE TEAM USA base in San Francisco. The trials featured physical training and instruction both on and off the water, and the teams sailed onboard an AC45 for the first time under the supervision of ORACLE TEAM USA sailors – the same class of wingsail catamarans raced in the America's Cup World Series.
Matt Pistay, 22, Zenda, Wis.
Dalton: "If you are foling and you have someone besides that is not... you'll be gone"
Maybe the same can be said if the conditions are -20knots for those on foil conf??
I always get the question on how many people visit the site, so here it is.
CSN has peaked in November +63,000 visits and almost 20,000 unique ips per month (18,900), also +3300 visits in one day (+2500 unique ips) and is reaching 3000FB fans.
Considering this is a niche website and that Sailing Anarchy has reported some weeks ago to have around "50,000 visitors a month" (If I recall well , please correct. And that should be unique ips only) do your math on the comparative reach of CSN against a massive site like SA.
The key is that here people is not looking for Laser or 'tractor' news, so visits area 100% targeted.
I never did this kind of post, but I'm overwhelmed on the response, and mails keep coming with greetings and support. Next step is to launch a annual buyers guide as I use to read on surfer/windsurfing mag and an online shop to have direct targeted access to our catsaling needs plus a classified on used boats.
And maybe I'll implement a reverse auction system where customers defines a product they want to buy and a top price to pay, and the sellers will be the ones lowering their bids.
We implemented this on the Construction market while I was working in IT and you'll be surprised on what you can get.
I think this system should be applied for ebay type sites, translating the power from the seller to the buyer, ending in a more efficient way of commercial exchange.
For now Thanks all for following , 2 weeks ago got on the 40s range but I'll try to keep the pace...!
Looking good after some delay. Lets wait also for the mid 20s and the definitive test for this Cup edition: The Bareaway.
Artemis is going for conservative design option and it may pay if you may have this kind of weather on a given racing day. As the foiling systems are quite draggy when not fully planning.
I've been told that in the low 20s Oracle, ETNZ & LR may struggle while Artemis can take full advantage in those conditions.
The problem for Artemis is that if wind blows and the competition flies downwind it might be tough to digest, but as I've been remarked you also have to be fast upwind, although I've seen ETNZ flying in that mode too.
It seems also that the boat is doing what it was designed for, speeding with the bow quite up, thus also pressing the stern a little leaving a visible rooster tail.
Fischer concept is catching on, 1st tries are always the toughest. We have the Phantom flying, GC32 about to, and now Dario Valenza/ Carbonicboats are taking the concept back to the As: S/L foil combo. Lets see if this time the Acats can fly while racing.
Left: Mike and his son racing the F18 Worlds at LA. Photo Jasper Van Staveren.
There is a special breed of designers/engineers that also know how to race, and specially Multis. That group involves some renown personalities like Pete Melvin, Fischer and Mike Drummond. Having some of these guys reading the blog like Martin & Mike it is really a privilege and an awkward feeling for me as an amateur, more when I receive feedback or corrections from them, but of course I take advantage and fireback some technical questions too!
Drummond has a vast ACup experience and was inducted to the ACup Hall of Fame in 2010.
He got in contact with the site when I published a post on the AC45, while he was Oracle Design Director at the time. We met in LA and he told me he had left Oracle, so I thought it was a good opportunity to have his thoughts on current ACup developments and his involvement on the F18 & A-Class racing.
Juicy interview for sure, read together with his previous one here.
- CSN: You were part of the design team for Oracle Racing, when (why?.) .did you left the project?
Mike Drummond: I left in February 2012 because I became interested in some other things and didn't want to wait until the end of the Cup. I tried to be somewhat part-time in 2011, but the reality is you get drawn into everything and there is no spare time.
I've received some mails and comments on the "Super Tiger" , well here it is.
4 Hobie Wildcat foils, and an Infusion mast (only due to the original broken on land on a storm). Sails are Soldano's Ullman from Mischa's black beast Wildcat.
The previous owner migrated to a Wildcat, and the local fleet is now all Infusions, C2, Caps and now 2 Phantoms.
Gonzalo put lots of hours, money and effort on this boat, even after a tremendous emotional hit he suffered when the boat was blown out by hurricane winds weeks after buying it that forced some of the changes/upgrades.
He finally managed to get this boat performing against a new generation of F18s.
I race with him and with the Tiger for the first time 2 weeks ago, and we managed to have good speed, a couple of mid fleet scores and a great 3rd. And we ended in front the previous owner on his Wildcat 3 out of 4 races...imagine his grin!
Emirates Team New Zeland is way ahead of the program. Just comparing what the rest of the teams are doing, they have a huge advantage right now.
Putting their game/modifications together at home is a comfortable plus but beyond sailing steady in 25knots of wind they need to start sailing in SF asap.
Images Artemis/Sander Van der Borch. After several rumours and delays the Swede team is finally sailing, good to launch on a calm day, they will have countless opportunities to test it in harsh conditions...More at FB/ArtemisRacing.
Will try to get more info on the Icarus project later. Image & Text sent by Andrew Dowley.
"Icarus was based on a Panthercraft Tornado originally. Holder of the B Class World Speed Record, including hydrofoil designs and principles from ocean going boats to hydrofoil sailboards.
James Grogono was the man behind the project.
Luke Yeates from Weston Sailing Club owned the boat for a while and tried to work with it.
The boat has now gone to James son, probably to stay in a barn forever.
It was pretty un seaworthy and old. James Grogono showed Luke all his drawings for icarus and icarus 2. Luke and his team used the boat as a concept testbed and it worked remarkably well. Achieving 26kts in 21kts of breeze. Not bad considering it literally weighs over 1/4 tonne and the 30 year old hydrodynamics were interesting at best, with design features such as sharpened leading edges! Icarus 2 was also very heavy but with a much improved design, it proved very fast 30kts plus (unofficial) but unfortunately it was blown of calshot spit in a storm and got smashed to pieces on hill head. It was never replaced.
James went on to do a lot of work with Alan Thebault on the Hydroptere designs in the early stages."
Above and below some new renders I'm working on, click to HQ, I like the Luna Rossa style one, I will ask Max Sirena if they have some left for us! Also been working on a Scorpion logo, check below.
We've been working with the group in the background on the Open Project doing some initial CFD tests with my original cad that has a pretty standard rocker and no concave/negative section for a clean start.
The first test were good and now we are analyzing an aft negative section , recommended by the CFD guys and we will test that next.
I specially want to see how the Cirrus R rocker performs on CFD and what reference it can give us to see if we can implement it or not.
Seeing how ETNZ and OR are going that route, it is worth to take a look.
We've also make some foil tests and we are already targeting an specific section.
The initial goal is still there: Design an Overall Performer.
And as a secondary target I think there still some room to achieve the above (already done in the class) but going to a higher degree of evolution.
The best feeling I ever had on an F18 is with the Hobie Wildcat. The Infusion/Falcon got me the most comfortable ride even in 25knots.
The Infusion and C2 are well proven World title boats, and they they have the widest performance range in any wind from 4 to 30knots.
Another key aspect is handling, and it seems the Cirrus R has superlative points in this area on the breeze and deep chop.
But we don´t want a boat that aims to excel in a determined targeted condition with a known drawback in others, we want to cover the whole spectrum. After seeing all and sailed the majority, I can say there is still margin with current designs to put all the best features in one boat without giving away any compromise... hard task I know, but in the process the group will learn quite a bit.
The funny thing after all this design talk "balblab" is that the other day I raced the Tiger for the first time, a special Tiger with 4 Wildcat foils, and Mischa's black Ullmans.
We were flying without any handicap whatsoever, we maintained speed and even got a 3rd among average mid fleet results.
ever had in a regatta!
This tells a lot about the F18 and design in gral, specially what a good one the Tiger is. Will publish later more details as I want a good picture of Gonzalo's Super Tiger.
Beyond this that also proves how good the class rules are, I really like being involved in another F18 project, learning a lot and hoping we can put some additional juice to the class and racing cat community with it.
More updates in some weeks.