07 - 21 September, 2013 San Francisco, USA
Best of 17 / 2 Races per day
Since the defender Oracle
Team USA had not
participated in any races until
then, it was hard to judge the
team.
Due to the estimated high
budget of approximately
U.S.$ 200 million the
syndicate was classified as
the superior opponent in his
technology and performance.
With ETNZ, which was partly
sponsored by the
government, one conjectured
a finacial frame of about 60
million U.S. $
For the AC 2007 the budgets with the top teams were estimated between 100-150 millionU.S.$
Due to the high development costs of an entirely new type of boat, and because Oracle Teamk USA co-financed a
large proportion of the excellent LiveLine * broadcasting and media support, the budgets are likely to be higher.
What began as a relatively harmless, ended in a shocking verdict of the International Jury for Oracle Team USA.
(See my comment in the AC 45 World Series).
For a rule violation 12 months ago, in another type of boat, by few crew members, without the knowledge of the
top management the team has been docked in addition to a fine of $ 250,000, with the exclusion of the wing
trimmer Dirk de Ridder and a minus 2 points penalty (therefore 11 wins necessary instead of 9).
The Dutchman, (sailing six years together with the skipper Jimmy Spithill, as in 2010 on the BOR 17 trimaran) was
the expert on the wing to control its sophisticated moving by winches and hydraulic pressure.
He is called the "gas pedal" of Spithill.
* Live Line is a technology developed
for the AC 34, which inserts graphic
elements in video broadcasts following
the race. Several GPS and computer
controlled helicopter record on gyro
stabilized cameras with ultra-fast
lenses, (able to focus within two
centimetres of the centre of their
moving subjects).
A sophisticated software embeds in
these recordings numerous data such
as current, wind, distance between the
boats, their speeds, mark rounding
zones around the buoys, etc
For example, an Automatic tracking
systems on each yacht will constantly
feed position datas to high-performance
PCs on shore.
Custom reality software converts in real time the position data in informative graphics on the
screen. These graphics look then as if they were painted on the water.
Specially developed data packages from this system support the umpires and the racing
management in their decisions
In addition, there are spectacular close-ups of on-board cameras or of accompanying boats
and of the crews communication with each other.
This technology was developed by a team of Stan Honey. He received for LiveLine his
second Emmy Award.
Despite the high estimation of Oracle’s race took a different course
than expected.
Oracle first had to "work off the minus points " that is, to win 3
times before they can book a winner-point only.
The catamaran of ETNZ was faster than Oracle in the first races,
especially windward.
The team was extremely well trained and sailed faster tacking and
jibing
The collaboration between the skipper and the tactician worked
better as well.
Both teams sailed thrilling match races that have been
missed so much in the Louis Vuitton Cup.
As Oracle lost the 5th Race with 1:04 minutes at a level of 4 :0, it
took one day “Postponement”
This 1-day (only) time-out can be taken by each team without any
justification.
In the 6th Race Oracle had replaced the tactician Kostecki by Ben
Ainsley. Also undisclosed improvements were made at the
catamaran. (Probably the weight has been shifted towards the
stern).
Visible was only the shortening of the bowsprit
The boat was considerably faster and stopped the daily double
victories of ETNZ
The America’s Cup 2013
The race
In the 8th Race the grinders of
ETNZ could not build up in time
enough pressure for the hydraulic of
the wing. This happened in a hasty,
over-cranking tacking. The wing
could not be eased and the
catamaran rose to one side in a
giant heeling steeply into the air.
But the crew could control it again
in time and the boat splashed back.
ETNZ got for obstruction of Oracle a
"penalty" and lost this race.
The 13th Race started in extremely
light wind and little current. Both
teams set downwind for the first
time their gennakers*. ETNZ led in
some routes over a mile. Since both
teams did not reach the finish line
within the 40 minutes limit, the race
was abandoned.
In the following (again 13th race)
ETNZ caused when trying without
right of way to cross in front of the
Oracle's bow a collision and was
awarded a penalty again. Oracle
won this race superior.
The times of the monohulls, which
have been pulled on the downwind
leg by their spinnakers, are almost
history with the AC72. Especially
when "foiling" the boats “outrun”
the wind which no longer fills the
gennakers and causes them to
flutter. Thus, the catamaran will
slow down and endangers eminently
its stability.
On 21 September it rained for the first time since February. As the wind was blowing from the wrong direction across the racing
circuit, both races were canceled.
The next day, (a mighty whale still had time to leave the bay) Oracle won in the 14th and 15th races both starts, kept ETNZ under
control and won again now a sequence of four races.
New standing 8:5 ETNZ needs 1 point, Oracle still 4 to victory. Without the minus 2 points from the AC45 World Series, it would be
8:7, with a far greater psychological pressure on the New Zealand team
However, Oracle had increased by improvements in the catamaran especially the windward speed. By Spithill's aggressive start,
the better speed and perfect match-racing Oracle Racing won all of the following races spectacular as at a standing of 8:8.
On 25th September the Golden Gate Yacht Club and the Oracle Team USA defended in the 19th race successfully the 34th
America's Cup 9:8.
the Jedi leave the scene
Star War has ended,
Larry Ellison with the America’s Cup
On 25th September 2013 the Golden Gate Yacht Club and the Oracle Team USA
defended the 34 America's Cup in the 19th Race after a spectacular comeback
from 1: 8 to 9 : 8
AMERICA’S CUP HISTORY 1983 - 2013
