Our site is about fun and racing multihulls mainly catamarans
We begin with the current Americas Cup. Race 2 and its over Oracle won two races.
Friday February 12th 2010 Race One finally happened.
Monday no wind Wednesday too rough. Friday Race 1 Sunday Race 2.16:10
Mark 1, windward mark has a breeze at 115° blowing 7 knots and at the gybe mark is it 140° at 8 knots, bear in mind that our readings are off the mark boats, very different to the wind pressure at the top of BMW ORACLE Racing's 223 ft high wing. And Russell Coutts is on USA as well. Headsails are going up on the two race boats, AP flag is down. Inside the ten minutes to the start of what could be the decider.
16:16
In fact USA have not yet rolled out a headsail but were doing over 20 knots for a few seconds. Alinghi have starboard entry and so have the rights of way, may try to pin a penalty on USA but appear to be late setting up correctly on entry and if fact get a penalty themselves.
16:21
Alinghi have been given a penalty, we believe, for not being outside the start box when the signal went.
16:24
Start gun goes and USA start first as Alinghi struggle to get moving, long swell, Alinghi heading to the right after picking up speed USA head left. USA accelerating quicker but boat speeds are now similar.
16:26
So a split on the cards, already 2000 metres of lateral separation and growing all the time. USA looks more powered up and has a lead of nearly 400 metres. USA have tacked and are in a good band of wind pressure. 13 miles first beat. Speeds are actually pretty even. Ellison and Coutts both on board USA.
16:35
USA's lead has grown to around 650 metres now, certainly a closer race than Race 1 in, although this time USA have had the upper hand since the start. USA appear to be gaining consistently on the left side of the course. The wing seems to be a potent weapon again in these marginal conditions, Dirk De Ridder always working to achieve the target angles and power, gaining real time pressure and angle info off the foil and targets. Breeze is 6-7 knots, but maybe building very slightly.
16:40
And Alinghi have taken the lead, USA went slightly soft to the left and the Swiss holders gained. Loick Peyron is on the helm of Alinghi. Lead is slender 70 metres but USA tacked when they saw they could not cross Alinghi.
16:43
8.2 miles to the windward mark, Alinghi get that wind shift perfectly to make a gain and they are still profiting. The right side seems to be getting a little more pressure. USA had a small soft spot in the breeze.
16:46
Alinghi now 150 metres ahead and lead is growing very slowly, smaller Solent jib on today and seems to be better set up than Friday.
16:51
Wind at the top mark is still around 7 knots at the windward mark, and a little more at the gybe mark. Alinghi weather team may have got this one right with their choice of the right, 20 degree lift.
16:53
Around start the wind was at 100 degrees at the windward mark now it is at 120 degrees, and it has been to Alinghi's gain now is at 450 metres. Breeze is backing again very slightly, back to 115 degrees.
16:55
And of course the advantage will stretch for whoever gets to the windward mark first as they get on to the reach first and accelerate. In very rough terms we reckon on somewhere around 500 metres of an advantage needed to unload a penalty...so if Alinghi get to the windward mark first then their hopes will rise for sure.
17:02
Alinghi have been consistently quicker over the last few minutes and their lead has grown again. Speculation over what is making Alinghi quicker includes a different mainsail, the smaller headsail and better moded with their ballast set up, but they have looked more consistent in the long swell.
17:06
Three miles to the lay line, USA is closing now and has halved the distance they were behind as the breeze has backed slightly to the left again.
17:08
A protest flag is being flown on Alinghi.
18:13
USA making a gybe to lay the finish and are back up to 18-19 knots after encountering a spell of lighter winds.18:37
Alinghi cross the finish line 5 minutes and 26 seconds after USA. The Swiss team were 24 seconds behind off the start line, 28 seconds behind at WW 1 mark, 2mins 44 secs behind at the gybe mark, Mark 2.
18:32
USA cross the finish line first and should lift the America's Cup subject to any protest. The crew look delighted. It is the first time that a challenger has won a Deed of Gift match. USA win 2-0. Coutts remains unbeaten in the America's Cup match, winning 15 Cup match races on board.
18:37
Alinghi cross the finish line 5 minutes and 26 seconds after USA. The Swiss team were 24 seconds behind off the start line, 28 seconds behind at WW 1 mark, 2mins 44 secs behind at the gybe mark, Mark 2.
18:43
Confirmed then, no protest, so BMW ORACLE Racing win the 33rd America's Cup match for the USA. A fantastic finale to this historic match.
What did we learn?
FUTHER REINFORCEMENT OF WHAT WE THOUGHT YESTERDAY.
Well even in light winds a solid wing will fly down wind - this is really the first time we have seen a solid wing with a kite and wow did it go! The main racing of winged multihulls has been the Class C but with the limit of 300 sq m sail - all that area has been put into the main.
The only other multihull with a soild sail was Dennis Conners America Cup boat which raced a monohull - Dennis ran away with it. But when raced in a Multihull race against other Catamarans I believe - from memory - a class C cat beat it on the water. It certainly lost on handicap.