You can get an old TP52 for cheap I'm sure! Comanche and WOXI for the win. Comanche got a big ole butt!
While I don't have a personal opinion of Ellison either way, he did bring the cup back, and he has completely modernized the racing. I think what he's done with the racing is super cool. I think the multis might finally be here to stay. No more keel drama! Haha. People who end up with that kind of money either become cooler, or toolier. The list of dbags is long that sport. Add conner to the list..
I crewed on offshore racers in my teens and early twenties. I've got a soft sport for big monohulls. Some of the sleds out there now are insane. One exception from a few years back was an R/P 30 named Cone of Silence. She smoked the big boys off the wind. I had a chance as a 20 year old to be part of a 4 man crew to bring a Hinckley 56 from Maine to Virginia. A week before I was to head to Maine the captain (owner's very experienced son) hit a ledge in Maine hard enough to have Hinckley pull the keel and board. She stayed in Maine until the next year. Sucked.
First round of racing begins today! Its on cbssn I think, but it'll be on YouTube right after or probably streams through the americas cup site.
Just want to say I'm stoked for emirates! Pounded that jackass ellison. The secrets are starting to come out about the boat now and holy crap they did their homework! Just another 4 years til the next round. Excited to see what the boats will be, the venue, and who will field teams. Hope to see artemis, bar, oracle etnz team prada and alinghis return! And more open water please!
Ya know, back in the day... Yeah, I wanna see monos that actually have value as seagoing vessels rather than these cocked-up thoroughreds that will shatter on the first nose dive.
The technology has gotten to the point that Adrian Newey is looking at sailing as a creative outlet to his design and engineering versus F1. His recent semi-sabbatical was to work on AC boat design. Martin Whitmarsh who temporarily ran McLaren F1 is now running the Land Rover BAR sailboat racing team. Lots of cross over.
Agree completely, he had a vision and put his money where his mouth is so kudos for that. I like this racing a lot better and seems a lot of other general viewers do as well. You are always going to have the elitist's, they are sailors don't forget. Always enjoyed buzzing sailboats at 140+mph with 2 motors at about 6k gulping fuel with chopper props shooting a rooster tail long enough to cover a city block. Sailboaters hate that shit and well, I've met very few "pure" sailors that aren't total elitist asshats. Most of them need to take their shoes and shove them in their yaps and for f$ck sakes, where proper clothes and turn your damn collar down.
I met Ellison the first time about 30 years ago, and worked for him for about a year and a half a little while back. "Tool" isn't the word I would use to describe him - not sure there's a single word that would suffice. I will say that he is absolutely convinced that he is the real-life Tony Stark
Interesting to hear a first hand experience. My wife likes him, only because he brought back the Indian Wells tennis facilty from the dead. Of course he let's everyone know that.
New proposal for rules for the next races are boats built in county team is representing, and nz is taking back all of their expat team mates..no more team japan with a british captain..teams will be made up of home nationals. Hmmm....
The dropped the new test boat in the water this week up in Newport. Linky in vids section. That thing is hauling ass for a 38!! Insane. Stoked to see the 75 foot version.