Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.
New Zealand wins the Cup 7/3 by winning the last 5 races, only one of which was not a sail-away. Will be interesting to see what the Kiwis come up with for the next Cup.
Derek Crawford Chief Measurer C25-250 2008 Previous owner of "This Side UP" 1981 C-25 TR/FK #2262 Used to have an '89 C22 #9483, "Downsized" San Antonio, Texas
Races #8 and #9 were the most memorable to me... #8, sailed in just barely enough wind to allow the race, involved both boats falling off their foils, and thereby humungous lead changes while each boat sailed away from the next mark trying to get back up. #9 was the closest thing to a nail-biter, featuring very close crossings at 40+ kts per boat, some risky tactics, and a number of lead changes. But in the final analysis, the NZ boat was just faster. It took a few races for the crew to fine-tune their tactics, particularly for starts, since they hadn't been seriously racing before the final series like the Italians had been. Once they found their groove, the writing was on the wall--#10 was "ho-hum"--just too fast... Jimmy Spithill just couldn't repeat the miraculous comeback that he pulled off for the USA in 2013.
Dave Bristle Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired), Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
You can still find 12 Meter races, and even the big Js if you go looking (typically in Antigua and on the Med). But even they were looking to stretch the envelope... Remember the Ausies' "secret keel" that along with a shorter, beamier hull helped take away the cup in 1983--the first time? In the same series, the US boat came with a surprise as well: removable ballast to adjust for the wind conditions. Like NZ downwind this year, the Aussies were just plain faster. Combinded with Dennis Conner's debatable tactics for the US, it was too much.
Now some of our C-25s and many of our C-250s have that "secret keel"! Maybe some day you'll be coastal cruising on foils. (Just leave out the coffee grinders.) Occasionally I see a Moth darting around a bay on foils--looking like he's hittimg 50 (he's not). I can hardly imagine a fleet of them!
To me, the excitement is in the concept of match racing--so different from the fleets I can watch any day. Fast or slow, the tactics of match racing take it to a whole other level. Doing it at 40 knots on 75' boats is yet another level!
Dave Bristle Association "Port Captain" for Mystic/Stonington CT PO of 1985 C-25 SR/FK #5032 Passage, USCG "sixpack" (expired), Now on Eastern 27 $+!nkp*+ Sarge
Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ. The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.