35th America's Cup

Data came from here:
Match Race 6 Stats
the website is reporting it wrong (looks like it is reporting just one downwind leg), but the app is reporting it correctly, but race 5 & 6 hasn't been updated yet in the app. Nice catch Eric.

Wind forecast 8-9 knts from the south.

Very entertaining presser! Not much in terms of technical info on the boat changes (who really expected that?), but lots of insight into the psyche on Oracle.

Listening to their comments on the dial-down penalty, and watching it again, it certainly could have gone either way and maybe green would have been a better call. Either boat could have been penalyzed, with more focus on port, so I understand the penalty call going against USA. Jimmy certainly thinks NZL got away with another one.

Burling just needs to lose. I really don't like his attitude. Saying that he wants to keep the regatta out of the hands of the umpires doesn't gel with constantly pushing that button. That, and every time something shows his team as slow (being passed or losing), he reverts to claiming that the boat is still suffering from the pitchpole three weeks ago. I just can't respect that attitude. It's akin to Ainsle whining about being a new team and being too far behind in development.

Mike

Oh boy, I missed the actual start, but saw the bottom half of leg 2. Interesting that both Draper and Nathan were saying that following was a huge mistake (even before it happened). They both would have double-gybed and split at the bottom.

NZL looking slightly faster upwind, covering tighter, now blowing it open by covering more loosely.

Mike

Someone must have read a match racing book to Burling and company. They loosely covered after the weather gate, minimizing the damage after Oracle split and rounded into a better shift/pressure.

Mike

Loose cover again after the leeward gate. It's going to be tough to pass.

Just saw the replay of the start. Yikes, Jimmy either doesn't have confidence in his instruments (as he mentioned in yesterday's presser), or just misjudged his timing and turns. Uncharacteristic error, that's for sure.

Mike

Maybe Oracle just needs to run this to 6-1 to mount a proper comeback???

Mike

NZL 5, USA 1...

Mike

Seriously??? The pre-start of Race 8 was just embarrassing. Spithill allowed Burling to get the hook (Burling then waved to him when under him, a bit of a taunt, I thought), then just couldn't get any boatspeed to get to the line. Wow.

Split at the bottom, NZL tacked to apply loose cover. USA going faster at the moment.

Mike

Nathan is saying that the fancy NZL prestart maneuver was done by Ashby as Burling was running across the tramp. If true, that aggravates me even more about that wave.

NZL more tightly covering here. USA looking desperate with some of these tacking decisions.

Mike

Wow, as I type that USA sails out of bounds (totally unforced)...

Mike

...and a blown gybe coming into the bottom gate...

Draper and Nathan are giving Ashby tons of credit, and acknowledging his deep prior catamaran experience, as well as overall involvement with the team and boat/design.

Mike

Ridiculous gains by NZL on that weather leg.

Loosely covering downwind again.

Mike

OK, we're there. NZL 6, USA 1. Now the regatta begins???

Oracle is one stupid mistake away from giving up the Cup. But, they're averaging more than one of those per race...

Mike

Glen was unique in the sailing world with world championship success in developing sails and foiling systems before this generation of AC sailing. He almost got it done in the previous cup. I don't think you can overstate his contribution over 4 years to making New Zealand go. Sure the helm gets the most glory... but Asby is a genius!
So here we are again..... one win to close it out.... WHAT CAN ASBY BE FEELING right now..... Wow.

A sports psychologist can right a book right now on a GASBY Case Study..

props!!!

Very impressed with Jimmy in the post-race on-water interview. No excuses, admitted to sailing poorly and making errors; more importantly, gave credit to NZL for outsailing him. Burling, Ainsle et al need to learn from this guy.

Mike

Great points, Mark. Those of us lamenting to see more guys with beach cat heritage in the event should be rooting for Ashby. Just wish he was on our team...

Mike

Well, truthfully, I thought Oracle sailed that correctly. Even when they did split, after rounding the same gate mark behind NZ, they picked the right spot and tacked right into a lift and it looked like they they made the right move...but that lift was short lived and they ended up in a header on the wrong side of the course AND with less pressure. It is not easy sailing these faster than wind boats in light and puffy stuff. I thought Burling and Ashby were doing a really terrific job of managing risk today.

I would LOVE to have heard their coaches.....seems like they got told to trust their boat speed and handling and trade distance for protection. Do it.... Outeridge and Draper made a point about the young guys soaking up knowledge... I would add... they simply are not getting out of the team concept.

My hunch is that the boys on the boat truly get how much of a team effort their success is and they are not celebrating as if they alone beat Oracle.

It's very telling how surprised everyone seemed to be with that pre-start maneuver by NZL. They tacked, bore way off and got the hook in very little water. As much as I dislike Burling in the pressers, I'll definitely hand it to him for pulling that off (it looked like he had as much to do with it as Ashby).

Still don't think he needed to throw in that wave.

Mike

Today's presser...

Mike

what time is the racing today?

Lol, I still need to go back and watch it. I'm wouldn't be offended by that wave - Spithill has been talking trash ever since he's been in the America's Cup. That's what trash talking gets you.

Same time as usual.
1PM EST

So what happens when NZ takes the cup?

Are foiling cats done? Are we back to yawnfest monohulls? Is NZ going to put a stranglehold on the cup by insisting that all of the team members be from the country of the challenger?

RIP, Bill.

Sadly, we lost him in February.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Paxton

Mike

Maybe that's my long-term memory starting to fade, but I don't remember anything like that in this cycle.

Mike

I suspect that a good portion ​of that will depend upon their COR. Who do we expect that to be?

Mike

Supposedly Luna Rossa.