America's Cup Guide

7/28/2019 America's Cup Guide

1/34

34thAmerica'sCup

2013

SanFrancisco,CA

JimKlein

Aptos,CA

MatchRacing

LouisVuittonCup-Sunday,July7thtoFriday,August30th

America'sCup-Saturday,September7thto

Saturday,September21st


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2

Index

Page

Introduction 3

BriefHistory 5

ChallengerRaces& 6

America'sCupRacingFormat

BoatDesign 9

TheEnvironmentalComplexities 14

ofRacingontheBay

RacingontheBay 22

BoatHandling&MechanicsTactics

Resources&Websites 28

Appendix 29

LVC&America'sCupSchedules 29

TidalCurrentTable 30

RaceCourses[1-4]

31


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3

Introduction

Aboatisaholein

thewater...

Continual

Learning

Experience

Camaraderie=

GoodTeamwork

Foranyonewho'ssailedonSanFranciscoBay,Ithinkyou'llagreeitmaybethebestsailingvenueintheworldforsailorsandspectators.alikePersonally,Ispentalmost10yearsracingsailboatsontheweekendsontheBaystartingintheearly1980swithaCal2-27andthenmovinguptoanExpress37.WhatdidIlearnfromthoseexperiences?Threemajorthingsinnoparticularorder.First,don'tbearacingsailboatowner.Themaxim"aboatisaholein

thewateryoupourmoneyinto"heldtrue.Andwhenyou'reracing,thereisan"x"factoronadditionalcosts.Itwasalwayssomething-arippedsail,inthestrongafternoonwinds($11,000foranewKevlarjib),awinchhandle($300apop)lostoverboardintheheatofafasttackingduel,etc..Trustme,Iwasgladtobeacrewmemberandbeabletogohomeandsleepatnight!

Second,Iwouldn'thavetradedtheexperiencesI'vehadracingforanything.Idon'tcarehowmanytimesyouwentout,youalwayslearnedsomethingnew,encounteredadifferentchallenge,andreallyappreciatedthemultitudeofvariablesthatBaysailingthrewatyou.Finally,lookingbackonthecamaraderie,bondsandteamworkdevelopedoverthoseyearswasamazing.Werethereverbaljabsatscrew-ups?Yes.

Wastheregrumblingtoanadjacentrailmateaboutwrong"calls"madebythetacticianorskipperonemployingtacticsthatdidn'tpanout?Yes.Butoverall,youwereateam.Youlivedanddiedasateam.Andhopefullyyouwererightmorethanyouwerewrong.


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4

Fromthe

Viewpointofthe

Sailor&Spectator

Racing

Considerations:

Environment

Mechanics

Tactics

Dedication

OneofthemainthingsItookawayfromracingontheBaywasmyvividrecollectionoftellingmycrewmatesthatthiswouldmakesuchawin-winvenuetohostanAmerica'sCupforeveryone.

Therearethreekeyconsiderationsinracing:environmentalfactors,mechanicalfactors[essentiallymaximizingboatspeed],andtactics.Environmentally,theBaypresentsanumberofchallenges,fromwindsthathowlthroughtheGoldenGateintheafternoon,sometimesgustingabove30knots(about35mph),tothestrongtidalcurrentsthatflowandebbtwiceaday.Themechanicsofbeingabletotakeadvantageofwindshiftsandconstantlytweakingthesailsfor

morepowerandspeedwasanalmostunendingtask.CouplingthatwithtidereliefonracecoursesthatparalleledtheCityfrontwaspartscienceandpartartthatonlycamefromyearsofexperiencingitandreactingtoit.Beforearace,successfulmonohullsailorswouldstrategizeonpossibleracecoursesandtactics.Theultimateracecourse,chosenbytheracecommittee,wasonlysharedwithracersshortlybeforethestart.I'massumingthesamethingwillhappenduringthe

prelimsandAmerica'sCup.Hereitis,almost20yearslater,andwegettoseethiswonderfulspectacleunfold.I'msorrythatanoldfriendofmine,RodSievers,won'tbeheretowitnessanyofthis.Hepassedawayfrommelanomacancerearlierthisyear.RodwastheboatownerIsaidI'dneverbe,Hegavemetheopportunitytosail,tounderstandtheinsandoutsofsailboatracingfromtheequipment(andthe

subtletiesofwhateachpiecedid)tostrategiesandtacticsofthecourseandcompetitors,toworkingtogetherasateam.Itwasavaluedtimeinmylife.Itwasagoodtime.Welaughed,welearned,andweappreciatedtheexperience.Thanks,Rod.


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5

BriefHistory

World'sOldest

Race

162Years

Results

since1967

TheAmerica'sCupistheworld'soldestactiverace,andisnotheldonasetschedule.Thereigningchampionhastherighttochoosethelocationofthenextraceandthetypeofboatthatwillbeused.ThelastchampionwasTeamOraclein2010.

Underrulesforthe2013Cup,establishedbythedefendingchampion,teamshavebuiltultra-lightweight,double-hulledvesselswithhard"wing"sailsandhydrofoilsthatcancruiseatcloseto50mph.

Therehavebeen34America'sCupracessince1851.Thefollowingtableshowsthe14winnersoverthepast43years,10ofwhichwereUSboats.TwoUS

boatswererepeatvictors:IntrepidandCourageous.

Through2007,alltheracingwasdoneinmonohulls.LarryEllison,billionairePresidentandCEOofOracle,introducedmultihullstothevenuein2010.Theracewastechnicallyunfair-amonohullvs.acatamaran-butitsetthestageforfutureAmerica'sCupracing.

Year Winner Score

1967 Intrepid,USA 4-01970 Intrepid,USA 4-1

1974 Courageous,USA 4-0

1977 Courageous,USA 4-01980 Freedom,USA 4-1

1983 Liberty,USA 4-3

1987 KookaburraIII,Australia 4-0

1988 Stars&Stripes,USA 2-01992 America3,USA 4-11995 YoungAmerica,USA 5-02000 TeamNZ,NewZealand 5-02003 TeamNZ,NewZealand 5-02007 Alinghi,Switzerland 5-22010 TeamOracle,USA 2-0

SomeofthemorefamousUSskippersincludeMosbacker(2wins),Turner(yes,thatTurner-1win)andConnor(2wins)


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ChallengerRaces&America'sCupRacingFormat

LouisVuittonCup

LVC-ThreeTeams

LVCRacingstartsJuly7th

Challengers

TheLouisVuittonCup[LVC],thenameoftheAmericasCupeliminationroundtheplayoffs,ifyouwillhasacelebratorykickoffJuly4thandwillfeaturethelargerAC72susedintheAmerica'sCupfinals(vs.theAC45sdesignsusedintheworldracingseriesoverthepastfewyears).TheLVCserieswilldeterminewhocompetesintheAmericasCup,Septemberstwo-boatduelbetweenthewinneroftheLouisVuittonCupandTeamOracle,whichgetstodefenditstitleonhometurf,theGoldenGateYachtClub.Onlythree(3)teamsaresignedupfortheChallengeSeries.That'sfewerthaninanymodernAmerica'sCup,andfarfewerthanthe14teamsraceorganizershadpredictedwouldcompete.Thereareusuallyatleast7teamscompeting.

Eachteam,withtheexceptionofNewZealand's,isbackedbyanindividualbillionaire,andeachhasspentbetween$50millionand$100millionsofartocampaigntheirboats.

StartingJuly7thandendingAugust30th,therewill

bealmosttwomonthsofracingtodeterminewhothechallengerwillbeforTeamOracleinSeptember.AsshowninTable1oftheAppendix,themonthofJulywillfeaturefifteen(15)RoundRobineventswitheachchallengerfacingoffagainsttheotherfive(5)times.ThewinneroftheRoundRobingoestotheLVCFinalwhichstartsonAugust17th.Thetworunner-upsfaceoffinabestofsevenSemiFinalmatchseriesbeginningAugust6th.

ThereareonlythreeteamsfightingfortherighttochallengeOracle:PradaLunaRosa(Italy),ArtemisRacing(Sweden)andEmiratesTeam(NewZealand).


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7

TooCostly?

TheOddson

Favorite-theLVC

Winner

TeamOraclejust

SittingAround?

NoWay

America'sCup

Whysofewchallengersyoumayask?Itreallycomesdowntomoney.At$10millionjusttobuildanAC72catamaran,veryfewsyndicatescanplayinthismonetaryarena.

Andthat'sjustafractionoftheoverallcosttorunanAmerica'sCupcampaignthisyearwhich,whenallissaidanddone,mayreach$150millionperteam.Infactit'ssoexpensivethatthismaybethelasttimewe'llseetheAC72sinaction.Sinceitsinceptionin1983,thewinneroftheLouisVuittonCuphasgoneontowintheAmericascupfouroutofseventimes.The2013eventwillmarkthe30thanniversaryoftheLouisVuittonCup.

Inparalleltothechallengerseries,ORACLETEAMUSAwillholdDefenderTrialstostrengthenitsbidtodefendtheCup.

JimmySpithill,theskipperofORACLETEAMUSAwhenitwontheCupin2010,willhelmoneoftheboats,whileBenAinslie,multipleOlympicGoldMedalistfromtheUK,willhelmtheother.

ThetwowillgoheadtoheadonthesameracetrackandonthesamedaysastheLouisVuittonCupchallengersareracing.

Whytwoboats?AshasalreadybeendemonstratedinracesearlierthisyearontheBay,bothTeamOracleandTeamArtemishavehadcatastrophicpitch-poleaccidents,onewithfatalresults.

Whiletheyareconstructedofhighstrengthmaterials,theshearforcesexertedduringarounduporpitch-poleaccidentaretoomuchforthestructuralparts.

Myguessisthateachteamwilllooseatleastoneboatduringthiscompetition.

TheAmericasCupFinals,withORACLETEAMUSAagainstthewinneroftheLouisVuittonCupFinals,willrunfromSeptember7thtoSeptember21standfeaturesanewformatwithnearlytwiceasmuchracing.


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8

9Victories

NeededtoWinthe

Cup

Crews

PreviousCupFinalshaveseentheteamsraceinafirsttofiveformat,wherethewinningteamneededtocollectfivevictories.In2013,therewillbetworacesperday,withnine

victoriesrequiredtowintheAmericasCup.It'spossibletheseriescouldbeclinchedbySunday,August14thwithoneboatwinningnine(9)consecutiveraces.Byclassrule,crewsizeshavebeenreducedfrom17peoplesailingmonohullsdownto11forthisclassofboat.Thephysicalfitnessofthecrewsisastounding.Anyonewho'sspentevenhalfadayontheBayknows

howtiringthewind,saltairspray,temperature,andsunwearsyoudown.Withtworacesperday,itwillreallybeatestofendurance.Crewswillconsistofahelmsman(boatdriver),tactician(primaryinformationalsourceforthedriver,makestacticalcallsandenforcesrules),wingtrimmers,jibandgennakertrimmers,andthoseresponsiblefortheforedeck,andraising/loweringfoils.


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9

BoatDesign

Dimensions

CrewWeight

TennisAnyone?

Construction

Catamaransaredesignedtogofast.Evenisthelightestwind,thereducedcontactareawiththewatermakesthemfasterthanasinglehullvessel.Contrarytowhatyoumightthink,itsimpossibletomodeltherealworldonacomputer-therearejusttoomanyvariables.Likeanyothernewboatdesign,ittookadevelopmentprocessonthewatertoarriveattheultimateAC72design.First,teamsdesigned,tweakedandsailedsimilarboatsonasmallerscale[liketheAC45-thesmaller45ft.versionoftheAC72].Theytrieddifferentwingsizesandconfigurations,testingsomeconceptsandtuningupthesailingteamandthedesignteamuntiltheyarrivedatan"optimum"boatdesign.Boat:

AC72Hullslength:22m/72ft.Beam:14m/45ft.HullWeight(Displacement):5,900kg/13,000lbs.Maximumdraft:4.40m/14.4ft.

Wing&Sails:Wingsailheight:38m/130ft.SailArea:Wingsail:260sq.m/2,800sq.ft.JibArea:80sq.m/860sq.ft.GennakerArea:320sq.m/3,440sq.ft.

CrewAverageWeight:11at92kgs/203lbs./person

Justtoputthesizeofthewingsontheseboatsinperspective,it'sastallasa13storybuildingandhasmoresquarefootagethanatenniscourt!

Theseboatsareofsuchhi-techmaterials,composites,andadvancedmechanicsthatconstructioninvolves300peopleforagrandtotalof52,000workinghours:

12,000hourstobuildthewingsail17,000hoursforhullconstruction23,000hourstobuildtheplatformandfoils.


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HullsandFoils

Hulls

Exoticandexpensivematerialsliketitaniumandcarbonfiberareusedintheconstruction.Asasidenote,therearealsoabout2,000meters(2,167ft.)ofropesonboard(halyards,sheets,etc.).

Besidestheefficientaerodynamicsofthefixedwing,twootherdesignfeaturesenabletheecatamaranstosailfast.Firstisthedesignofthehulls.TheAC72'shavethislongslenderhullthatdoesn'tdisplaceverymuch.

Below20ktsitisveryhardtobeatthathullshapefor

drag.Theseboatsareveryefficient.

Eachhullweighsabout3tons,Ittakesaminimumamountofwindtoraisethewindwardhulloutofthewater.


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11

Foils

SailingonFour

Foils

SailingonTwo

Foils

Thesecondfeaturearethefoils.Foiling,isthetechniqueofliftingthe7-tonboat'shullsoutofthewatersoitcanskimalongthewavesonfoursmallfinsknownas"foils."

Foilingreducesthedragontheboatandincreasingspeeddramatically.Whenyouaresailingatspeedsover25kts,thatiswhenitreallypaystogetridofwettedsurfacearea,andfoilsprovidethatsurface.It'sestimatedthatthecriticalspeedtoachievefoilingflightisaround18-20kntsofboatspeed.Inwindspeedterms,andgiventhatanAC72willsailatarounddoubletheactualwindspeed.

Downwindfoilingshouldbepossiblein9ktsofbreezeormore,butupwinditwouldtakesubstantiallymorewindtoachievethealmost20ktsofboatspeednecessarytoliftupontothefoils.


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12

Wing

DifferentDesigns

Controllingthe

Power

What'strulyamazingaboutthisdesignisthecritical"balancingact"ofboathandlinga130footwingmomentagainsttwosmall(surfacearea),light-weightfoils.

Thewingsail,broughtforwardfromBMWOracleRacingssuccessfulAmericasCup33challenge,mightjustbetheareaofgreatestdesignadvancementforthe34thdefenseoftheAmerica'sCupin2013.Eachboathasadifferentconceptonhowtheirwingisdesignedandcontrolled,butkeptwithintheoverallrulesfortheclass.Forexample,Artemistookadifferentapproachwiththeirfirstwing,withawiderforwardelementandnarrowerflaps.Theirsecondwingismuchclosertotheotherteams'withwider

flaps.FortheAmerica'sCup,theAC72catamaranshavetobeabletoraceinwindsfrom5to33knots(6-38mph).Sincetheycanracein5knots,instrongwind

theseboatswillbeseriouslyoverpowered.TheAC72wingsailcontrolsystemsallowthewingtobedepoweredbyadjustingtheflapsandthecamber.

Tomakethingsmorecomplex,thewindspeedcanvarybyover10knotsfromthewatertothetopoftheAC72's40metertallwingsail.


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13

Tradingoff

Control&

Complexity

TherearemultipleflapsonthetrailingelementoftheAC72wing.Thesecanbetrimmedseparately,putting"twist"intotothewing'sshapetomaximizethepowertothesailandspeedtotheboat.

Thewingissetupdifferentlyfordifferentmodesupwindalowfastmodeorhigh,slowermodeforinstance.Racingdownwind,thewingsetuphasahugeinfluenceontheboatsperformanceandmustbeusedaccuratelywiththefrontsails,makingfordozensofsmalladjustmentsthroughouttheleg.ItappearsthatNewZealandandLunaRossa(whosharedthesamedesigninthefirstphaseofdevelopment)canalsotwisttheirwingsail'sleadingelements.EmiratesTeamNewZealandontheother

handdesignedtheirwingwithatwistcontrolfortheforwardelement.USA17,OracleTeamUSA'sboat,doesnothaveatwistingforwardelement,but,likeArtemis,itdoeshavemovable"tabs"ontheleadingelement.

Viewfrom

thetopof

thewing


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14

TheEnvironmentalComplexitiesofRacingontheBay

Part1:Wind

Wind-Nature's

Propulsion

System

TheMarineLayer

=Fog=Calm

SaddleRidges

andtheireffect

onwindspeed

Theoriginofwindiscomplex.TheEarthisunevenlyheatedbythesunresultinginthepoles

receivinglessenergyfromthesunthantheequator.Also,drylandheatsup(andcoolsdown)morequicklythandotheseas.

ThisdifferentialheatingdrivesaglobalatmosphericconvectionsystemreachingfromtheEarth'ssurfacetothestratospherewhichactsasavirtualceiling.

ThecoastlineofNorthernCalifornia,especiallyduringthesummermonths,typicallyhasamarine

layer[fog]generatedbythecoolwatertemps(55dgreesF)mixingwiththehotterlandmasses.Asthesunrisesandthedaybeginstoheatup,thefogburnsoffandwindsbegintopickup,usually

between11AMand1PMeachday.Windstypicallblowat10to20knots[15to23mph],butsometimesproducegustsinexcessof30knots[35mph].CertainlytheconsistencyofafternoonwindsontheBaymakesforgoodrecreationalsailingandforexcellentracingconditions.Whatcausesthehighervelocitywinds?ThenaturalconstructoflandattheGoldenGatebridgeformswhatinnatureiscalleda"saddleridge"whichcanamplifythewindvelocitycomingthroughtheGatebyasmuch1.7times.

Marin

Headlands

San

Francisco

Westerlywinds

GGBridge


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15

LittleDanny

Bernoulli

NASAPictures

ThelandmassonthenorthernsideofthebridgeiscalledtheMarinHeadlandsandrisesup600ft.abovethewater.Onthesouthside,thecliffsrunningfromthebridgeouttowardSealRock,aresome300to400ft.abovethewater.Ineffect,theyformawindtunnel.

ThisamplificationcanbeexplainedbytheBernoulliEffect.Bernoulli,arenownedmathematicianwhofirstpublisheditsformulationin1738,foundarelationshipbetweenflowspeed[velocity]andpressureinafluidsystem.Whenthepressuredecreases[duetoaconstriction,forexample],thespeedofhorizontalflowafluid[liquidsandgases,suchasair]increases.OncethroughtheGate,thewindtravelsinaneasterly

pathuntilitreachesaboutAlcatrazislandwhereitdispersesintoa"finger-likepattern".Partofthebreezeheadsnortheast,partofitcontinuesdueeastandpartofitheadssoutheast.ActuallythiswasdiscoveredbyaU2plane[notthesinginggroup]thatwastakingpicturesofthewindsaloftwhileflyingaNASAmissionovertheBayintheearly80s.It'ssignificanceforracingsailorscan'tbeunderestimated.

Thesewindpatternsaddtothechallengeofsailingwithcontinualoscillatingwindshiftswhich,inturn,forcestacticiansandskipperstocontinuallymonitorfor(andreactto)morefavorablewindsoverthebowcalled"lifts"andlessfavorablewindsoverthebowcalled"headers'.Toputthisinperspective,sailingtoweather,atypicalangleofthebowtotheprevailingwindisabout30degreesonamonohull.Onmultihullboats,theanglemaybeslightlysmallerbuttheconceptisthesame.

Prevailing

wind

30

degree

angle

Starboard

Tack


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Laylines

Lifts-Favorable

WindShifts

StarboardTack

Lift

Ifyouareracingonawindwardleg[orweatherleg][i.e.,intothewind]oftheracecoursetowardamark[turningbuoy],youtrytoestablisha"layline"or

shortestdistancefromyourstartingpoint[eithertheStartLineinaraceorfromtheleewardmarkorlasttack]tothewindwardmark.

Theoretically,youcan'tsail"higher"[or"closertothewind"],thanapproximatelya30degreeangleunlessyouget"lifted".Ifyouareonstarboardtack(windcomingoveryour'rightside'),andthebreezeshiftstotheright,it'lifts'youhigher.Soaliftiswhenthewindhasshiftedawayfromthebowofyourboat

windshiftto

right

StartingPointor

lasttack

point

Layline

Prevailing

wind

Windward

Mark

Prevailing

wind


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17

LessTacks=Less

TimeLostTurning

Lesstacksarea

goodthing

Porttacklift

Rememberasyou'resailingacourseupwindtowardamark,thewindisnotonlypoweringyoursailsbutalsoblowingyouoffcourse.Liftsallowtheboattosail"closertothewind".Intheory,liftsenableyoutocompensatefordirectionallossduetothewind.

Favorablewindshiftsoftenresultinbeingabletomakeawindwardmarkwithlesstacks[turns]thanwouldnormallybethecase.Havingtomakelesstacksmeanslesstimelostgettingtothemarkandcanmakethedifferenceinwinningorloosing.Liftsaregood.Whenbeinglifted,youhavetwochoices:(1)youcansailhigherintothewind(closerthan30degreeangle)whichisimportantifyou'retryingtostayon

thelayline(imaginarylinestothewindwardmarkbasedontheoptimumpointingangle)withouthavingtotack;or(2)youcanmaintainthesamecourseasyouwereonbeforeyouwerelifted,andpoweruptheboat(increasetheboatspeed)by"fallingoff"whichistosayreleasingthemainandjibslightly.Withchoice(1),youaretechnicallysailingashortercoursetothemark.Withchoice(2),youaresailingfastertothemark,butattheexpenseofgivingup

somedistancewhichmeansultimatelyyoumayhavetomakeatleastonemoretack.Eitherofthesedestinationstrategieshopefullywillresultintheboathavingtomakethefewestnumberoftacks[turns]tostayonthetheoreticallayline.Tackstaketime[upto20secondsforaboattocompleteandgetbackuptoitsoriginalspeed}whichmeanshavingtomakelesstackstomakethemarkisagoodthing.

Assumingeverythingelseisequal[boatsaredesignedsimilarly,crewsarejustasexperienced,sailingisdonemistake-free,etc.]onlytimebecomestheonepreciouscommoditythatcancostyouarace.Ifyouareonporttack(windoverthe'leftside')andthebreezeshiftscounter-clockwisetotheleft,thisisalsoaliftandthesamerulesapply.


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Headers

StarboardTack

Header

PartII:Tides

Aheaderiswhenthewindhasshifted towardthebowofyourboat,soitisforcingyoutobearawaymore,awayfromthewind,andawayfromyourdestinationpresumably.

Headersforcetheboatawayfromtheidealpointofsailandoffthelaylinetothemark.Oneruleofthumbistotackonaheaderbecausetechnicallyyou'retackingintoalift.

WhatseparatesthisAmerica'sCuplocationfromalltheothers?Tides,andmorespecificallytheirresultanteffects,currents.Alltheotherraceshavebeenoffshore,sometimesliterallymilesoffshorewheretidaleffectsareminimal[butcurrentsstillhavetobetakenintoaccount].RacinginSFBaypresentssailorswithaverydifferentandsignificantvariablewithwhichtocontend-theebbandflowofamassiveamountof

water,andthevelocityofthatflow.Actually,typicaltidalactionintheBaycanrangefrom2to4.5knots[21/2MPHto5MPH},butcanperiodicallyreach8to10MPHduringamaxebb.Ebbingcurrentsarebiggerthanflooding,butbothplayaroleandhavetobefactoredinoveralltacticswhileontheracecourse.

windshiftto

left Prevailing

wind


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TidalAction

Ebband

FloodCurrent-

ExampleSpeed&

Direction

TheManin

theMoon

LunarDay

Thetwicedailychangesinwaterlevels(tides)anddirectionarecausedbythegravitationalpullofthemoonandsun.ThechangesinwaterlevelsinturngeneratetidalcurrentsintheBay.

Ebbspeed&direction Floodspeed&directionThemoonismuchlessmassivethanthesunbutitismuchclosertotheearth.Inthiscase,distancetrumpsmassandtheeffectofthemoonontidesisabout2.5timesasgreatasthatofthesun.Themoonorbitstheearthaboutonceevery29daysinthesamedirectiontheearthrotatesaboutitsaxis.Thus,eachdaythemoonisatthesameangleabove

thehorizonjustalittlelater.Thetimeforthemoontoappeartoreturntothesamerelativepositionintheskyiscalledalunarday,whichhasanaveragevalueof24hoursand50minutes.Thus,correspondinghighandlowtidesalsocomeaboutonehourlatereachday,andsomedaystherearethreehighandlowtides.

Asummaryofcurrentsandexpectedtimesofflood(F)andebb(E)tidesisshowninTable2intheAppendix.


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TheEast/West

RaceCourse

Current

Turbulence&

Velocity

AlloftheLVCandAmerica'sCupraceswillbeheldalongtheCityfront.Tidalactivitywilleitherbethe

sailor'sfriendorenemy.Dependingonthetimeofday,thetimeofaparticularrace,andwhichlegofthecoursetheboatsareonwilldeterminefriendorfoe.Butsufficetosay,onanyoneleg,itwillprobablybeoneortheother.

Forexample,iftheyareracingdownwindtowardtheleewardmark[inaneasterlydirectiontowardOakland]andit'safloodtide,boatspeedwillbeenhancedbythespeedofthecurrent.ThefastestcurrentswillbeawayfromtheshorelinewherethereislessturbulencecausedbytheirregularshorelineandBaybottominshallowdepths.Fromacurrentstandpoint,tacticianswilltryandtakeadvantageoffavorablecurrentvelocities

whenitmakessense.Butwhatiftheracelegistowindwardduringafloodtide?Thenthetacticwouldbetostayclosertotheshorelinetogetmaximum"tiderelief".


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Summary:The

Tradeoffs

betweenWinds

andTides

SlipSlidingAway

TheWindhasit

Good

Communications

&ReactionTimes

NoSubstitutefor

TimeontheWater

ThereasonforspendingsomuchtimeonthewindandtideeffectsonracingisthattheCupwillbedecidedbythetacticiansandskippersthatmakethebestdecisionsatthebesttimesthroughouteachrace.

Thisseriesofraceshastradeoffsbetweenthewindandtidesthatwillbeongoing.Upwindtacticsaremoreimportantthanthosedownwindbecauseyouhavetoaccountforslippagefromthewindandtide.Obviously,withrelativelylight-weightboatsandlittlewaterexposuretotheCatamaranhull(i.e.,resistancetoforwardmotioncausedbydragonthehull),coupledwithmassivewingedsails,thewindandhoweachcrewtakesadvantageofitwillbethedominantvariableinwhowinsandwholoses.

Onehastoassumethereisalevelplayingfieldamonghelmsmen,tacticians,crews,equipment,understandinghowtosailtheBay,andstrategiesandtacticsemployed.Thedifferencebetweenbeingsuccessfulinanygivenracewillbeinthesubtletyofcorrectlyreadingwindshiftsandthenquicklyreactingtothem.Thisalltakesgoodcommunicationsbetweenthehelmsmanandtrimmers.Theseracesareupwind/downwindeventssailed

withspecificboundariesthatwillpenalizeskippersforextendingbeyondthem.Theenvironmentalfactorsarethedrivers.MenandtheirmachineswillonlyperformaswellastheirabilitytoreadMotherNature'ssigns[windshiftsandtidelinesonthewater],andaccountfortheknownpositiveandnegativeaffectsofboth.Goodcommunicationsarecrucialtobeinganeffectiveracer.Eachcrewmembermustknow

instinctivelywhattheotheristhinking.Thatsoneofthereasonstimeonthewaterissovaluable.


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RacingontheBay

RaceCourse

Theracecourselayout(asshownonpage20)isaneast/westdesign.Thewidthofthecourseisapproximately1statuemileandthelengthofthe

coursebetweentheleewardandwindwardmarksabout31/2miles.ThewindwardmarksaretheonesclosesttotheGGbridge.

BoatSpeed

LightWinds

HeavyWinds

TherearefourdifferentcourseconfigurationsshowninTable3through6intheAppendix.Thesecourseswillbeusedforboththepreliminaryraces(LouisVuittonCup)aswellastheAmerica'sCup.Thecourselengthhaselectronicboundarieswhich,iftheboatscrossonanyleg,theywillbepenalized.Specificspeeddataoneachboatishardtofindandwhenavailableisspecifictothatboatonly.TheAC72'sfastestspeedsareachievedintwoplaces:(1)onit'sfastestangletothewindandatanyangletothewindwhereboththewindwardandleewardhullsareclearofthewater,thusreducingdragandwettedsurfaceontheleewardsidefoils;and(2)downwind.

TheAC72swillbeabletoflyahullin5to6knotstruewindspeed.Thetargetboatspeedsinlightwindsunder10knotsweresetat1.2timesthetruewindspeedupwindand1.6timestruewindspeeddownwind.Projectedtopspeedupwindis25knots(29mph)anddownwindis42knots(48mph).AroughestimateofthetimeitwilltakeanAC72multihulltocompleteacourseisasfollows.CoursesareshowninTables3thru6intheAppendix:

Courses

1 2 3 4

30min 60min 30min 60min.

Note:AssumingMediumstrengthwinds(15-24MPH)

CourseLength 12.5miles 26miles 14,1miles 20.8miles


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OntheEdge

RacingFactors

BoatHandling&

Mechanics

BoatHandling

101

Starts

Typically,windsbuildduringtheday,reachingmaximumstrengthbymid-afternoon.Theincreasedwindscoupledwithastrongebbcurrentscreateconditionsthatareontheedgeforsailingthesecatamarans.

Forexample,takentogether,astwenty-eight-knotgustspushinthroughtheGateincombinationwitha5to6knotebbdrainingoutoftheBay.,theforcesactingontheboataretheequivalentof33-knotgusts:gale-forceconditions.And33knotsiswellbeyondtheAC72scomfortzone.Sailboatracingisatitsmostexcitingwhenitinvolvesmultiplerelateddimensions,ideally:boatspeed,boathandling,boat-on-boattactics,andstrategy.Boat

speedisdrivenmainlybydesign,butboatprep,boathandlingandtheenvironmentalaffectsofwindandcurrentBoathandlingcoversanumberofcrucialmaneuversthroughouttherace.It'saboutcontinuallytrimmingthesails(wing,jibandgennaker)tooptimizeairflowacrossthewinginordertomaximizeboatspeedwhilemaintainingcraftstability.Duringracestarts,trimmingthewingisparticularly

importantwhileboatsjockeyforthebestpositionbeforecrossingtheline.Thereareanumberofvariablestoconsider(tactics,boatspeed,proximitytoyourcompetitor,etc.)thatcanbecontrolledbydepoweringtheboatandpoweringitupbytrimming.Goodstartsareliketheporridgeforthethreebears-notbeingtoocold(beinglateovertheline);notbeingtoohot(beingearlyoverthelineandthereforebeingpenalized);beingjustright(hittingthelineasclosetothestartinggunaspossibleandbeinginthebest

position).Onweather(upwind)legs,whereonlythejibisusedtobothaugmentanddirectairflowacrossthewing,adjustingtheslotbetweenthetwosailsrequiresconstantvigilanceandtrimming.


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Trimmingfor

Speed,Balance&

Direction

VelocityMade

Good

Racing

Downwind

Thearticulatedfixedwinghastabsonitstrailingedgethathavetoadjustedcontinuallytohelpcontrol,directandoptimizewhat'sknownasVMG(velocitymadegood).

VMGreferstothecomponentofthecatamaran'svelocitythatisinthedirectionofthetruewind.Theconceptisusefulinsailing,becauseasailboatoftencannot,orshouldnot,saildirectlytoamarktoreachitasquicklyaspossible.Insteadofsailingtowardthemark,thehelmsmanchoosesapointofsailthatoptimizesvelocitymadegood.

Thehelmsmanandwingtrimmercanintuitivelystrikethebalancebetweenspeedandadvantageousanglewithinacertainrangeofdegrees,becausetheboatwilleitherslowdowntoomuchorgettoofaroffcourse..Ondownwindlegs(wheremaximumspeedscanbereachedandexposethecrewtothemostdangeroussailingconditions),athirdsail-gennaker-isusedtocaptureallavailablebreeze.Keepingthesailsfullandefficientiscrucialtogoingfast.Boathandlingisaboutgoodcommunications

betweencrewmembersoneverysubtlechangemadeandwhen;howyourcrewhandlesthewing,sailsandoneanother,andultimatelyiskeytobothboatspeedandboat-on-boattactics.Boat-on-boattacticsarehowyouplaysituationswhenboatsareclosetogether,atthestart,during[mark]roundingsandcrosses,andatthefinish.Strategyisaboutplayingtheweather,thewind,thetide,andtheracecourse.

Thisisgoingtobeverymuchmoreofasailoreventtheboathandlingandcoursemanagementandtacticsandstrategyisgoingtobeabigpartofwinningtherace.Boatspeedbyitselfisntgoingtodoit,howeveryourtacticaloptionsarealotbroaderifyouhaveaboatthatisalittlebitfaster,andtryingtofigureoutwhat


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Tactics

Preparation

Knowyour

Opponent

boathandlingcompromisesyoucanmaketogainsomestraightlinespeedisprobablythemostdifficultthingtoassess

Themarginforerrorisexceedinglysmallforasailor

sittingthreestoriesabovetheSanFranciscoBayonthesideofahigh-techcatamaranasitleanstowardthewaterliterallyflyingalongthesurfacelikeagiantstingrayat40mph.

Itdoesn'ttakemuchforthesetop-heavycrafttotoppleit'salreadyhappenedtwiceinthesewatersinthelasttwomonths.That'swhytheseAmerica's

Cupsailorsaresuitedinpaddedbodyarmorandcrashhelmets.It'sthereasontheycarryemergencyoxygentanks.

SincetheAmerica'sCupconsistsofonlymatchraces(racesbetweenonlytwoboats)thetacticsofracingaredifferentfromthatoffleetracing.Inmatchracingyouonlyhavetobeatoneboatoverthefinishlineandthereforealleffortscanbeconcentratedonbeatingoneboat.

ThefirsttacticofAmerica'sCupracingispreparation.Notonlydoestheboathavetobepreparedbutthecrewhastobepreparedbothmentallyandphysicallytomeettheiropponent.Therefore,itisimportant

thatboatsareinthewaterandcrewsarepracticinglongbeforetheAmerica'sCupracesevenbegin.

Preparationisespeciallyimportantforthechallengingteamthatwillhavetoraceinthedefenderslocalwaters

AnotherimportanttacticofAmerica'sCupracingisknowingyouropponent.Beforetheracesit's

Crewonrail

are30feet

abovethe

water


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NASCARonthe

Water

Cleanair

Covering

LeadBoat

Tactic

TrailingBoat

Tactic

importantthatanAmerica'sCupteamfindoutasmuchinformationabouttheboat,itscapabilities,andthecrewoftheboatthattheywillberacing.

"Goingfast"istheultimateunderstatementforthis

hi-tech"billboard"thatliterallyskimsthewatersurfacebalancedprecipitouslyontwothinfoils.Butpushingthespeed-stability-safetyenvelopewillbeoneofthekeydeterminantsofwhowinsthisyears'Cup.

Duringthestartoftheracethemostbasictacticistobefirstcrossingthestartinglinesometimeafterthestartinggun(horn)sounds.Oneadvantageforbeingfirst(assumingtheotherboatisincloseproximity),iscleanair.Aircomingoffthewing(dirtyair)will

beturbulentandslowwindspeedacrossthetrailingboat'swing.

Thebattlingforpositionbetweenboatsoccursthroughouttherace.Onestrategyfortheleadboatinthelaterstagesoftheraceisadefensivemovecalledcovering.

Essentiallycoveringismimickinganymovesofthefollowingboatonthetheorythathiswindandcurrentswillbethesameasyoursand,therefore,you

won'tgiveupanyground.

Beingconstantlyvigilanttowhatthecompetitionisdoingisasolidstrategywhenyouarebehind.

Sometimestheleadboatwilltackonaliftthatyouhaven't"seen"[felt]yet,sofollowingtheirleadatleastkeepsyou"even"onthatportionoftheleg.

Typically,thefirstlegofanAmerica'sCupmatchissailedupwind,butinthiscase,itwillbedownwind.

Gettingtomarksfirstisimportantforanumberofreasons-cleanair,pickingthebestsideofthecoursecomingoutoftheturn(tomaximizespeed,orreducetheeffectsofcurrent),tominimizethechancesofanyrulesinfractions,etc.


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StarboardTack

Rightsduring

Crossings

Anothertacticforaleadboatincloseproximitytoitscompetitoristomaintainitsheadingandtakeadvantageoftheruleforboatsonastarboardtackhavingrightofwayoverthoseonaporttackasshowninthediagrambelow.

Ifit'saclosecrossing,theporttackboatmust"giveway"bybearingoffandthusloosingdistanceortackingandloosingtimeanddistance.

.

PortTack

boatmust

giveway

Starboard

tackboat

has

rights

Incrossing

situations,port

tackmustfall

off;ortheycan

tackonto

starboard

Prevailing

Wind


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Resources

Websites

Wind

Information

Tide

Information

ThereareafewwebsitesthatpublishbothrealtimewindinformationandprojectedandrealtimeinformationontidesandcurrentsintheSFBay.Real-timeSanFranciscoBayWindPatterns(Streaklines)www.met.sjsu.edu/wind/streaklines.shtml

Oncethere,youcanclickontheSFwaterfronttogetmorespecificwindspeedanddirection.Mapvectorsarebrokendownbycolortoindicatewindspeed.

ActualTimeandcurrentDatafromSFBaycanbefoundat:www.funnel.sfsu.edu/courses/geol103/labs/

estuaries/partIIIC.html

Conversions

PartIII.C.ActualtimeandcurrentdatafromSanFranciscoBay.AtidetableisalsoshowninTable2oftheAppendix.

Distance

Anauticalmile=1/60ofadegreeor1minuteoflatitude.

Statutemile=5,280ft.Nauticalmile=6,076ft.

Statutemilex1.15=NauticalmileNauticalmilex0.87=Statutemile

Speed

SpeedKnots[Kts]x1.15=MilesperHourMilesperHourx0.87=Knots

Length&Area

Meterx3.28=FeetFeetx0.305=Meter

SquareMetersx10.76=SquareFeetSquareFeetx0.093=SquareMeters


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Appendix

Table1RaceSchedulesfortheLouisVuittonCupandAmerica'sCup

Race/ Start #of

Races Winner Format Day Time(s) Month Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

LVC

RoundRobinMatchRaces

1matchperday

15Total

Mostpoints

Jul 7 9 11 13

Jul 14 16 18 20

Jul 21 23 25 27

Jul 28 30

Aug 1

LVC

SemiFinals

Match

1perday

7Possible

Firstto

4Aug 6 7 9 10

Aug 12 13 15

LVC

FinalsMatch

Races

2perday

1:10PM2:10PM

13Possible

Firstto

7

Aug 17

Aug 18 21 24

Aug 25 28 30

AmCup

FinalsMatch

Races

2perday

1:10PM2:10PM

17Possible

Firstto

9

Sept 7

Sept 8 10 12 14

Sept 15 17 19 21

Notes:

1.DuringLVCseries,DefendertrialsbetweenOracleboatswillbeheldsimultaneously

2.RoundRobinseriesmatcheseachchallengerboatagainsttheotherfive(5)times.

ThewinneroftheRoundRobinadvancestotheLVCfinalandthetworunnersuptotheSemiFinal

3.SemiFinalswillbeaBestofSevenseries,withthefirsttoreach4thewinnerwhoadvances

totheLVCFinals

4.America'sCupraces:Two(2)perdaythroughapossible16races.

andone(1)raceonthefinalday,ifneeded.

Source: America's Cup 2013 - Dates and Schedule


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Table 2 NOAA Tidal Current Tablefor Flood (F), Ebb (E) and Slack Tides

September 2013PDT

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------# Slack Max Curr Slack Max Curr Slack Max Curr Slack MaxCurr Slack-------------------------------------------------------------------------------7 Sa 0003 3.4F 0310 0557 3.9E 0923 1219 3.4F 1522 1818 4.2E 21508 Su 0045 3.4F 0355 0639 3.6E 0955 1255 3.2F 1554 1900 4.4E 2234

9 Mo 0131 3.3F 0445 0724 3.2E 1030 1336 3.0F 1630 1946 4.4E 232410 Tu 0222 3.2F 0542 0813 2.8E 1112 1422 2.7F 1713 2036 4.3E

11 We 0023 0320 3.0F 0647 0907 2.4E 1204 1515 2.4F 1805 2132 4.2E12 Th 0130 0426 2.8F 0757 1008 2.0E 1312 1618 2.2F 1908 2233 4.1E13 Fr 0241 0540 2.9F 0907 1114 1.9E 1434 1728 2.2F 2020 2338 4.1E

14 Sa 0349 0653 3.1F 1011 1224 2.1E 1552 1841 2.4F 2133-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

15 Su 0045 4.2E 0450 0757 3.4F 1107 1331 2.5E 1659 1950 2.8F 224216 Mo 0149 4.4E 0545 0850 3.7F 1155 1430 3.0E 1757 2051 3.3F 234417 Tu 0247 4.5E 0635 0936 3.9F 1238 1521 3.6E 1849 2146 3.7F

18 We 0042 0339 4.5E 0720 1018 4.0F 1319 1606 4.1E 1938 2235 4.0F19 Th 0135 0426 4.3E 0803 1058 4.0F 1357 1648 4.4E 2025 2322 4.1F

20 Fr 0227 0510 4.1E 0844 1136 3.8F 1435 1729 4.6E 2111-------------------------------------------------------------------------------21 Sa 0008 4.0F 0317 0553 3.7E 0924 1214 3.5F 1512 1809 4.6E 2157

22 Su 0053 3.8F 0406 0635 3.2E 1005 1253 3.1F 1550 1851 4.4E 2244

Source: NOAA San Francisco Bay Tide & Current Tables


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Table 3 Race Course 1

Source: Race Courses Revealed for 2013 / America'sCup


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America's Cup Guide

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