America's Cup

[300weatherby]

Something "funny"going on here....... Not sure everything is as it appears, Orical suddenly found speed ,ETNZ suddenly "lost" it, and from good sound desicion making in the first half, to muppet stuff even I would not have done in the second, somewhat cynical all of a sudden.

[Ocean1]

I read or heard on TV (or somewhere) that the boat has been altered quite a bit but scrutineers are continually remeasuring and checking the boats all the time!

Aye. As was their AC45. The one with all the lead in the bowsprit.

See, half a million bucks and a couple of points docked isn't the real cost of having cheated. The true cost is that people with memories longer than a month look at all of your achievements and say: Oh, really?

[Mental Trousers]

Measuring the boat doesn't detect people hiding a bag of sand when nobody is looking.

[Berries]

I'm surprised, though, that nobody's yet asked if all of the recent improvements have been... completely legal.

Knowing that New Zealand is a nation of such good sports who are gracious in defeat I imagine the question will be asked at about 9am tomorrow, if they lose the only important one. They will win though, call me cynical but the whole thing was done for the ratings, and I don't mean in the nautical sense.

Very interesting re-reading this thread now things are tied. Who'd have thunk it?

[Road kill]

The difference between the two boats is way less than 1%, it's just that now it's Oracle that's 1% up. It's a sport where a 1% advantage can often be leveraged into a lot more, especially from a leading position.

I'm surprised, though, that nobody's yet asked if all of the recent improvements have been... completely legal.

1%ers involved huh,,should'a bloody known it.

At lest if their into it I guess it will be a good after ball party anyway.

Until the cops arrive an start beating up on 14 year olds that is.

[oldrider]

Something "funny"going on here....... Not sure everything is as it appears, Orical suddenly found speed ,ETNZ suddenly "lost" it, and from good sound desicion making in the first half, to muppet stuff even I would not have done in the second, somewhat cynical all of a sudden.

There really is something shifty underlying this whole event especially when considering ETNZ's apparent capitulation and Dean Barkers discomfort in the media!

Never mind at this point all is still equal and "anything" can still happen, so that plus the technology at least keeps it interesting!

It is Larry's event and it is mostly Larry's money and Larry is not the kind of guy who likes to lose!

ETNZ have no money left, but hey they have at least now got Dennis Connor on their side now! (suddenly come out of the woodwork)

At the start I didn't have a favourite boat or crew and was just enjoying the event but as things have progressed I am hoping for ETNZ to pull off a last gasp win today!

That would make it an event with everything!

[Robert Taylor]

The very best to our sailing crew. Like many I have issues with the Americans having so much of their way around the world and it would be great to pip them at the post. They are just so flipping ''loud'' as people with accents that really grate and I find that ''numming''

Just another thought, imagine where we might be as a country if we put as much passion into our work and business enterprise as we do into sport?

[ckai]

I read or heard on TV (or somewhere) that the boat has been altered quite a bit but scrutineers are continually remeasuring and checking the boats all the time!

Their boat also has been catscanned. The scrutineers are going over everything with a fine tooth comb

[Naki Rat]

Cubic dollars wins

[oneofsix]

just because the racing is over doesn't mean the cup is finished could be the lawyers turn yet.

[Road kill]

Congrat's team USA.

It was always going to be the team with the most money and the best tech that won,and at that level it should be.

Now let the game begin

[mashman]

Oracle sorted the boat out and learned how to pilot the thing going upwind. Job done, technology or not.

[ellipsis]

...I take it that the fast black boat with no sails, with much kiwi design and crewing and fettling beat the other fast black one with no sails that is also mainly kiwi crewed and designed and fettled...yay...that saves us a buck or two over the next four years, polishing up more of the dorkland waterfront so plebs can become experts and piss everywhere...in the wind...

[MisterD]

I'm surprised, though, that nobody's yet asked if all of the recent improvements have been... completely legal.

At first hearing, this stuff about automatic control stuff that's Boeing technology doesn't sound like proper sailing, legal or not.

[Banditbandit]

Oracle have now won 11 races ... THREE more than we did - they deserve the cup ..


Do I now go home and change into black or are we all going out the back to commit suicide ???

Fuck me - it's just a sport - I enjoy watching sports - but they are unimportant frivolities ...