Wilderness Cruising | Nautitech Open 40 blog

Yesterday I said, light winds in the Americas Cup were more exciting as they add the possibility of the boats falling off their foils. Today I have to eat my words. Stronger winds are just as exciting, especially in boats so evenly matched. Watch race 9 here.  https://www.facebook.com/groups/2411813889062536/permalink/2852516351658952/ By now the sailing characteristic of both boats are known by all. Luna Rossa can point higher, but Emirates can sail faster, and make better VMG on downwind legs. Considering the size and speed of these boats the sailing is close! Race 7 and 8 saw passes, lead changes, close starts, and boats coming off their foils.  Skipper of American Magic Dean Barker stated in the TVNZ coverage  "It was the most bizzare race." Today, the wind strrength was up, we saw 12 - 18kts, averaging around 15kts, the teams were practicing on the course, and different jibs were going up and down. There was a sense that the days racing would be even more exciting th...

What a dramatic Americas Cup race. Yesterday's race was cancelled due to light winds. But light winds actually make for a more interesting race. If you missed it, here's the link. Its worth watching. https://www.facebook.com/groups/2411813889062536/permalink/2851674165076504/ With winds over 12kts,  the race can feel like more of a parade. The boat that selected the best sail, or the boat that wins the start wins the race.  If the winds are light, like they were today, around 8kts, there is a chance the boats fall of their foils. If this happens it dramatically changes the race. We saw this in the Prada Cup, the feeder series of the Americas Cup. Today was the first time we had light patchy winds in the Americas Cup, and it was super exciting. It can be tricky to follow the racing from the water with a poor angle. With a lag in the broadcast coverage you are constantly trying to piece together a strange view and a delayed commentary. We managed to get a good spot overlooking t...