SAIL GP Chicago - this June - Summer trip ???

[MacDoc]

I follow the sailing competitions at the high level especially The America's Cup with the insane speeds from the foil boats.

I had watched the earlier designs ( bit of watching paint dry ) but the foil boats are a whole other world.

Did not know it hs spun off a GP series.
The America's Cup is one on one with a long lead up of racing to determine a Challenger.
...the GP is a single design with multiple boats on the course and multiple venues like MotoGP in that respect.

Might be worth a summer trip. Short notice but it's just a long days drive. I'll certainly be watching.

You can cheer for Team Canada too.

 

[BigEvilDoer]

Looks awesome...
I've sailed for a good part of my life.. Lasers to 35 foot single hulls... couple of catamarans along the way...
Watched the Americas Cup quite a bit in my early adulthood, but haven't for a long time now.
The hydrofoil boats are another level though. Might have to look into watching some of those races soon.

 

[MacDoc]

Here you go - enjoy....

 

[crankcall]

sail GP is so much more entertaining than watching the cup. And i've been watching Americas Cup since I could stand up . I fear the americas cup is in trouble , competeing with stadium sailing , 8 boats on course and very spectator friendly . I did a transat delivery on a foiling vendee globe 60 , its just nuts.
We will miss Chicago, , will be in Montreal for the F1 , but I suspect we will make Italy later in the fall.

Ive sailed a few ex Americas cup boats , Stars and Stripes , CAN1 , 12meters and R boats , they are like grandads Buick compared to this foiling projects going on .

 

[MacDoc]

wow...closest I've been is wandering the AC docks in San Fran and apparently there were a few AC cup winners teaching at Bitter End when we were there. The magnificent facility got totaled by a hurricane but is open again. Best Resort in Virgin Gorda, BVI | Bitter End Yacht Club

We loved Virgin Gorda ...one of the best family vacays ever.

Partner ran a chandlery in Australia for a few years and they lived on a boat - her partner at the time raced tho not at Am Cup level. My step dottor was concieved the night the Aussies took the Cup from the Yanks ....that was 132 years in the doing.

On September 26, 1983, here in Newport, RI, the world of sailing was forever changed when Australia II, skippered by John Bertrand, defeated Liberty, skippered by Dennis Conner, by 41 seconds in the 7th and deciding race of the series, marking the first defeat the United States suffered America's Cup sailing in 132 years

I'm actually okay watching the cup and the lead up races but SailGP is insanely exciting and Canada's got a team.
The nail biter in San Fran with the come from down 8-1 to win was one of the most incredible sporting events to watch ever, as both teams were learning the new boats and the progression from only foiling downwind to 100% foiling around the course was amazing to watch.
It feels like it defies physics.

Except for the start, non-foil racing is pretty dull in the larger boats tho the smaller ones are also insane, foils or not. The Vendee and a few others are interesting at the start and even those there was no coverage in open ocean.,,,until now

the Vendée Globe is the greatest sailing race round the world, solo, non-stop and without assistance

The comments are illuminating.
As global communications expand and drones get better even open ocean segments come available. Nice to have a veteran on the thread....I'm just a spectator....time spent sailing measured in hours and only along for the ride.

 

[Green Meenie]

Some years ago we did a excursion off a cruise ship in Saint Martin where we raced a 12 meter boat. We were on the Canada II racing against the US Stars & Stripes boat. It was an actual race with a set course and after much instruction, we actually had to participate in manning the winches following the commands of the skipper.

It was exciting, very wet and hard work but probably the most fun I've ever had on an excursion off a cruise ship! By the way, Canada II won that day

 

[MacDoc]

too cool ....THAT was a worthwhile excursion.

 

[crankcall]

The 12 meters , most of which are tourist sailing now represented the state of the art when launched , now big lead sleds compared to what’s going on with foils .
The cross engineering, F1 engineers work on Americas cup and sail GP teams and aerospace engineers are consulting for both sports . Good or bad the money is insane .

Some trivia for those that have done the Caribbean fun sails , Can 1 and Can11 were owned by Torontos Paul Phelan , the Cara foods guy. Neither ever sailed an America cup race , they ran out of money before the boats got finished , hull 11 sat behind Pearson airport for years , they put it together with old Australian hardware ( you can go to a Chanderly and buy this stuff) and launched as a tour race boat . It’s a lot of fun .


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[GreyGhost]

The 12 meters , most of which are tourist sailing now represented the state of the art when launched , now big lead sleds compared to what’s going on with foils .
The cross engineering, F1 engineers work on Americas cup and sail GP teams and aerospace engineers are consulting for both sports . Good or bad the money is insane .

Some trivia for those that have done the Caribbean fun sails , Can 1 and Can11 were owned by Torontos Paul Phelan , the Cara foods guy. Neither ever sailed an America cup race , they ran out of money before the boats got finished , hull 11 sat behind Pearson airport for years , they put it together with old Australian hardware ( you can go to a Chanderly and buy this stuff) and launched as a tour race boat . It’s a lot of fun .


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While they are lead sleds compared to the foils, they are probably a good fit for the tourism crowd. Sticking tourists on a foiling boat (on the small chance they could make the financials work) would probably end up with people in hospital or worse.

 

[crankcall]

They are great for the tourists, they have very small headsails ( what we would call a #3) , on a furler, and an undersized mainsail so nobody looses a finger and no spinnakers. They set the "race course" out deliberatly skewed so its sort of a reach/reach instead of true upwind/ downwind which makes it quite pleasant and civilized.

Funny story sort of , we were in the BVI's on a cruise ship and went on a day sail excursion with a Brit sail company doing a "match race" on older Farr 40's , they offered the guests a chance to drive and I end up on one boat and wife is driving the other. We both had spent some time racing big boats , tour reps got very white , they do not like tourist skippers making close crossings . Other guests seemed highly amused and scared crapless at the same time.

 

[MacDoc]

Came across this in the paper today.
Excellent graphics

 

[Priller]

I was glad to see they agreed to stick to the AC75 class for the next one. It'll be really interesting to see what kind of iterations come out of everyone having some experience with the class. Barcelona might be a bit breezier than Auckland, so simply copying the last Kiwi design might not be the way to go.

I really enjoyed catching the highlights of the last one, as the engineering and technology is just astounding. As someone used to tubby '70s and '80s IOR barges, the upwind speeds are almost impossible to comprehend...

 

[GreyGhost]

I was glad to see they agreed to stick to the AC75 class for the next one. It'll be really interesting to see what kind of iterations come out of everyone having some experience with the class. Barcelona might be a bit breezier than Auckland, so simply copying the last Kiwi design might not be the way to go.

I really enjoyed catching the highlights of the last one, as the engineering and technology is just astounding. As someone used to tubby '70s and '80s IOR barges, the upwind speeds are almost impossible to comprehend...

The foiling windsurfing racers have now figured out how to stay up on the foil for the whole race. For a while they would sink back in when moving through the wind. I cant remember if tack or jibe was holding them up but it's over now. All flying. Super fun to watch (and probably do but I havent tried one yet).

 

[Priller]

The foiling windsurfing racers have now figured out how to stay up on the foil for the whole race. For a while they would sink back in when moving through the wind. I cant remember if tack or jibe was holding them up but it's over now. All flying. Super fun to watch (and probably do but I havent tried one yet).

I thought all the windsurfers had been phased out by the foiling kiteboarders?

 

[GreyGhost]

I thought all the windsurfers had been phased out by the foiling kiteboarders?

You can foil with a wing, kite or a conventional sail. I don't care enough to follow which class allows which equipment. If I was buying gear now, I would probably buy wings. Even my kite boarding friends are leaning that way. Lake at the inlaws cottage has too many shallow places and swirling wind to put a foiling board there.

 

[MacDoc]

Saw a few foiling surf boards in Hawaii....looked so cool sitting 1/2 meter above the chop perfectly smooth and no issue moving in and out of moderate surf. Water magic.


The launch area was completely inundated with the 2018 Kiluea eruption 2 weeks after this was photographed.

Shame as the beautful ocean side park areas with black beaches and tidal pools....all gone...Our BnB barely survived only 500 m from one of the major rifts ( 8 ) but slightly uphill.
Lots of homes gone ...it was strange to see it unfold on streets we had just walked and driven in Lelani Estates.




Tried a windsurfer very briefly and fell off too much to persist.... like something with a throttle
Those foil machines tho.....wow.
Hard to imagine the forces on those underwater wings.

 

[crankcall]

Hard to imagine but the Canadians are crushing it in sail GP , did a great job in Chicago. Race being planned for Canada next yr , possibly Kingston. Should be crazy fun .


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[gsxr guy]

My friend sailed solo from shelburne to st peters. In thick fog and giant waves. Just arrived 2 days ago, crazy canuks.

 

[GreyGhost]

Yikes. Flying the Tornado was fun. This just looks like impending death.

For those that don't realize how huge these are.

 

[MacDoc]

New transatlantic record coming? Damn what a monster.