What's up with the America's Cup

Jake, The crew was substantially reduced to help lower the cost of entry for an AC team (that old head count issue that all organizations deal with) and later on it developed that there were times when the power needs were beyond what the crew could create in the moment even though they have made massive efforts on developing the physical output of the crew. That is why there has been so much hydraulic system and equipment design and development for this AC. They need to apply the hydraulic power as efficiently as possible and even then be able to accumulate power around the course so that they have enough to meet

peak demands

, like the leeward mark when the foils are changing and adjusting and there are big trims on the wing and jib. The partner companies have been finding applications for this work on systems they can use in their native industries, especially airliners. So in that engineering sense it is not absurd but on a conceptual level it definitely is!

I will be there to watch the end of the quarterfinal series and I am really hoping to get closer looks at the boats and equipment; not likely except for maybe the odd boat out at that time, probably France. The teams that are out at the end of that series will probably not be in the mood to let gawkers in but I will look if I can. I have read that New Zealand is developing 30% more power than the grinding teams so maybe they will not need the accumulators that the other teams have had to develop. That would save weight and complexity... it would be interesting to know these technical details but I am not sure if we ever will.

Mike,

I didn't mean in the sense of technology or whether or not it made sense - I just meant in the sense of sailing. I'm very familiar with the systems in use on those boats. I'm all for multihulls, wings, foils, etc. at the bleeding edge of the sport but you take someone not familiar with the America's cup and show them the New Zealand boat, everyone jumps to the conclusion that they are peddling props on the bottom of the boat. It takes a lot of explaining through furrowed brows that the bicycles (another mode of human transportation) were mounted to a sailboat (typically considered relatively slow) to build up hydraulic pressure so the two or three guys at the back of the boat can push buttons and control the sails and foils and make it go. To someone not fully invested in sailing as a sport, it sure as hell seems like a lot of complication to go 40 miles an hour....hence the tinge of absurdity.

Jake, I'm sure they said that back in the days of the galley boats...

Lots of dudes sitting at oars while a guy in the back pounds a drum and pushes buttons (or rudder) <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

But you engineers could help me understand the most efficient way to store hydraulic power. Since liquids are essentially non-compressible, are they building up pneumatic pressure to apply the hydraulics later? If not what is the mechanism used to

build

up the power to be used

during peak demand

?

I'm no engineer but i did stay near a Holiday Inn last night...

i think they use this type of machine to build and store the hydro power

oh, that's easy <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

I know on most big jets there are hydraulic accumulators that do have a nitrogen precharge of around 1000 psi. This accumulator system is usually only on the brakes. The problem is, once you pump the breaks a couple times, the precharge is gone, so you need hydraulic pumps (either electric or mechanical off the gearbox) to recharge the system.

There are period of very high demand for hydraulic pressure on an airliner, which are when the gear is retracted right after takeoff and at flap extension/gear door retraction after extension on configuring for landing. The 767 and 777, in addition to electric and mechanical hydraulic pumps, have an air driven demand pump, which use bleed air off the engines and only kicks on during periods of high demand, or if one/both of the electric/mechanical pumps fail.

so you don't have to pump the brakes? <img src="<>/smile.gif" alt="smile" title="smile" height="15" width="15" />

So does anybody have any idea if/when/where we will be able to watch any of the America's Cup racing here in the USA?

no sooner did I ask...
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2017/05/22/us-broadcast-schedule-americas-cup/

You can always go to the America's Cup website for the latest.

NBCSN Viewiing schedule

What does the SDD mean in the footnote?

(Edit: I see it now...*SDD (same day delay))

When NBC did not do the broadcast a couple of years ago.
I tried the America's Cup app with my phone, when the app first came out. I tried to connect to the first event, but could not connect to the live stream. After a bit of arguing over multiple emails and a couple of calls with them I got my money back for the app.
Since then I have used the internet with my VPN. I set my VPN to a server to a country where they were streaming live. Then stream the broadcast.
This site shows where how you can view the events by selecting your country How to watch The 35th America's Cup in Bermuda

Here's the latest on the AC racing yesterday, from You Tube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anh5lNUwef8

I've listened to a few interviews. They have a long way to go to earn my respect as sportsmen. Ainsle didn't once mention concern for the health of the guys he nearly killed. Burling basically admitted to calling for an umpire call out of desperation, and had the gall to say that in all pro sports, you play to the whistle. Yikes...

Mike