What's That Square Thing?

Wow, I'm glad my regatta yesterday didn't have this kind of unscheduled interruption. A sailboat and a Spanish submarine played a little game of tag as the sailboat narrowly failed to avoid the stern of the sub. I'm pretty sure this doesn't happen too often but you'd think sub crews would have a method for saying "please don't hit me." Yeah, I spose they're designed to have a low profile and blend in with the sea, but it seems like they shouldn't get snuck up accidentally on by a sailboat.

• Submarine disrupts the Vuelta España a Vela

Get Your Sail On.

I know you probably haven't been paying attention. Heck, you don't even know how the LVC turned out do you? Well, New Zealand is up against defender Alinghi and the series is tied at 2-2. Its go time, the most sought after prize in the most expensive and oldest sport is going down. How can you not watch? Well, cause today is an off day. But they're back at it again tomorrow. Get some.

• 32nd America's Cup Official Website

Trimming The Fat.

Well, BMW Oracle is our of the Louis Vuitton running.  Luna Rossa, the Italians rocked them up and down the course and manhandled Dickson in the start box.  He finally stepped down for the last race (after a double foul on the previous start that basically lost the race), but it wasn't enough.  Even after not getting pounded at the start, tactics and boat speed just didn't come together for the Americans.  So now the Italians have a spot in the LVC finals.  The Spanish, however, took home another win against  the seemingly impervious Emirates team.  They beat them at the start, and kept them off the whole race, bringing the tally up to 4-2, still not good shape, but not out like BMW.  So the cup isn't coming back to America who looked so strong in the fleet racing.  I guess that just highlights the difference in match racing an opponent, which is what this is all leading up to in the end.

• 32nd America's Cup Official Website

Can It Cant?

The America's cup is approaching as the Challengers fight it out.  Which might make you think that everyone's pretty much got their designs set in carbon-fibre, if not in stone.  (That cliche is a bit too heavy for this sport.  Stone boat: slow.)

Well the AC Measurement Committee released a decision earlier in May in response to several clarification requests posed by an unknown team.  They're mostly about ACC rule 17 which restricts movement and distortion of submerged appendages.

Mostly what this means is that a team thinks they've got a way to get a little more righting moment through a tack by canting the keel to leeward (diagrams) prior to the tack gaining power and acceleration from the righting moment through and post tack and then returning the keel back to centerline.

I feel like they're trying to figure out how to roll-tack a 70 foot boat with a 20 ton bulb ballast.

• Sail-World.com : Are we going to see a Canting Keel in this AC?

Louis Vuitton Act 13 day 2

So I'm "watching" the race on the little distance graph thing. Its pretty cool, for not having the boats on a map or video feed or anything. Its shows each boats' place and distance from the leader. There are also remarks and commentary about what's happening. Its pretty exciting. Then I see that +39 CHallenge's mast has snapped and the Germans are retiring from the race. Alinghi is trying to reel in the Americans from a 120m deficit, and now they're 115m ahead. Really really makes me wish I had video of this. Why can't they yank something and put on the oldest and most expensive sporting competition in the world?

32nd America's Cup Official Website - Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 13

Place Your Bets.

With the Louis Vuitton Cup only about a week away, its getting awful wagery in here. The betting started against Alinghi at the outset, silly punters, but the odds swung around as Alinghi laid out the smack on Team NZ. I'm pretty sure I already blew any gambling money I had on that $80 shirt a while ago.

• Sailworld: Team NZ Bookies Favourite

Ever Been Out Of Control?

Here's the company responsible for developing the kite supplemented tanker I wrote about a little while ago. Its a cool idea, but I'm a little put off now that I know more about the product. See, when I was like 14 I wondered if we could fly a kite off the fore deck to get a little more downwind oomf. Just chalk me up another idea that someone else got to first. Cause apparently that's how this company got going; they'll build a kite sail for your boat and show you how to use it. They guarantee you'll sail faster or they'll buy back the kite. I'm thinking maybe if your boat blows at going downwind you could get one of these and not use the asymm.

• KiteShip - Innovation in Tethered Flight

Sit On This.

Like biking? Like sailing? How about this contraption? Its an electric assist recumbent sail bike. You heard me. You can pedal it, you can sail it, or you can just let the motor take you. The article says its street legal in all 50 states, but I think you'd have to be crazy to try and ride one of these around in a city. I taught sailing in downtown Baltimore and you can get some crazy gusts and downdrafts coming off of buildings or through side streets. Imagine calling in to work and saying "I'll be a little late, I capsized my recumbent electric sail bike in traffic and can't get it untangled from the Jimmy next to me."

So lets keep it to the open spaces, huh folks? That said, this is a pretty cool toy to have available to people with a longer than you'd like suburban commute. They say it tops out at 40 mph, so wear your helmet; and maybe a lifejacket.

• The Pterosail: A Wind-Assisted Trike

Impatience Is A Virtue

That's the story I'm going with, cause I've got impatience to spare. Now as you all know, Arrested Development season three was released yesterday. I am not currently in possession of a copy because I hurt. I don't mean I am hurt. I hurt. I've been going on a wicked regiment of not running or exercising this second half of the summer; a la the summer or George.

So this regatta I sailed in, and kicked ass at, on Sunday has me kinda roughed up. We ended up sailing like 18 miles more than everyone else because our pre-race transportation options fell through and we proceeded to the start under wind power. So we sailed longer, harder, and faster than everyone else out there. Some people just want it more; and those people were us. 8:00 till 3:00 is a full day on a little boat in 15 knots of wind. If you know what I'm talking about, you know what I'm talking about, if not I don't know what I can do for you. Here, read this.

Anyway, I'm stiff all over and really didn't like the prospect of running around to try and find my dvds. So I broke my rule and ordered them from Amazon on Monday, right after I ordered my groceries from peapod. They shipped at 5:15 Tuesday morning, which has me fairly optimistic. So back to my impatience. I looked at my tracking information just now and saw that my package had reached the local sorting facility, about 15 miles from my house. I immediately thought "I wish I could go over there and pick it up, so I'll get it today." Stupid. That's the whole reason you ordered it in the first place. So that you didn't have to drive anywhere and get it. So call my Arrested Development fanaticism into question if you must, but I'm not going anywhere.

Update
Damn! Good job Postal Service! I can't believe that my order showed up today. You guys deserve a cookie. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be busy for the next 285 minutes.