Americas Cup 37th - Next event Barcelona - Aug 2024

[Flockwitt]

As shame because it's been great. Really aggressive start from the Kiwi's and it paid off. Nothing really between the boats, and we've yet to see what happens in stonger conditions. It's far from over, the kiwi's will simply be happy to have the points in the bag.

[Certain Navigator]

Not quite 60,000 people watching the official live stream of the finals. A educated guess says this might be the least watched sport per dollar spent on the planet.

Then you need to add in those watching on TV, eg me on TNT.

Ditto.

[Rhubarb & Custard]

Not quite 60,000 people watching the official live stream of the finals. A educated guess says this might be the least watched sport per dollar spent on the planet.

The UK have a yacht in the race skippered by one of England’s favourite sportsmen but the BBC do not have anything on the America’s Cup on their website.

https://www.bbc.com/sport

It's been on some of their news shows, well it's been on Radio 4 at least, and I believe they're carrying the event live on their app, or they said they were doing the opening races. But there does remain they'd probably get a bigger audience for lawn bowls.

[Thor Sedan]

Do we all agree that the UK boat is the best looking boat out there? The orange, silver and black absolutely slaps.

[Flockwitt]

Team NZ can be happy with today’s win. Needed to sail themselves out of a spot of bother and managed it.

[Flockwitt]

Mozzy Sails has done his usual good review.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzdsUV1Gs0o

The tl;dr version is that INEOS actually have the marginally quicker boat, but Team NZ spends more time at their top speed i.e. they accelerate out of their tacks quicker to full pace. This is done via sail management - the question is whether INEOS can replicate what Team NZ is doing to a greater or lesser degree now they can see what is happening and why.

[SaintK]

Mozzy Sails has done his usual good review.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzdsUV1Gs0o

The tl;dr version is that INEOS actually have the marginally quicker boat, but Team NZ spends more time at their top speed i.e. they accelerate out of their tacks quicker to full pace. This is done via sail management - the question is whether INEOS can replicate what Team NZ is doing to a greater or lesser degree now they can see what is happening and why.

GB fightback today. 4-2 now

[Guy Smiley]

NZ came off the foils in the start at the first race and never got close, the second had a finishing margin of 7 seconds.

Game on.

[Kiwias]

The Auld Mug is coming back to NZ. Brilliant performance by ETNZ to win it 7 - 2.

[Certain Navigator]

The Auld Mug is coming back to NZ. Brilliant performance by ETNZ to win it 7 - 2.

Sadly, it's unlikely to be back for very long, as I can't see the next defense being sailed here. Totally understandable though — in a very expensive high-tech sport, and very limited domestic resources, they need to go where the money is.

[Flockwitt]

This. When Team NZ had to sell a package to France and the hosting rights to be able to mount a successful defence there is no doubt they’ll have to find money from somewhere for a repeat.

[Jethro]

The Auld Mug is coming back to NZ. Brilliant performance by ETNZ to win it 7 - 2.

Sadly, it's unlikely to be back for very long, as I can't see the next defense being sailed here. Totally understandable though — in a very expensive high-tech sport, and very limited domestic resources, they need to go where the money is.

Phew Hawke's Bay could toss on a regatta or something.

[Certain Navigator]

This bloke doesn't exactly do much for the reputation of the British as good losers:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360457790 ... ericas-cup

His main complaint seems to be several variations on "it's not fair". He also has a curiously linear understanding of how improvement works, and his Olympics "level playing field" conveniently omits mentioning that he was thumped by Burling and Tuke in the 2016 games, who then spent the next 5 years on America's Cup boats before literally hopping back into the 49er just before the 2021 games. Apparently preparation advantages are perfectly ok when he's the one benefiting from them...

[inactionman]

Ben Ainslie and Ineos are to part ways, and it looks like Sir Ben is none too happy. Or even aware of it, prior to the Ineos announcement.

Sir Ben Ainslie has said he is “astounded” after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Britannia team announced a parting of ways with the four-time Olympic champion for this year’s America’s Cup. He also threatened to launch a “significant” legal fight in response.

One thing I'd say about Jim Ratcliffe is that he's not scared of making big calls.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/ ... -cup-split

[laurent]

marins d'eau douce

The vendée globe is for real sailors (Sam goodchild should arrive soon he is 160 miles of)

The fastest boat did arrive 10 days ago (64 days round the world solo)

[SaintK]

Ben Ainslie and Ineos are to part ways, and it looks like Sir Ben is none too happy. Or even aware of it, prior to the Ineos announcement.

Sir Ben Ainslie has said he is “astounded” after Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Britannia team announced a parting of ways with the four-time Olympic champion for this year’s America’s Cup. He also threatened to launch a “significant” legal fight in response.

One thing I'd say about Jim Ratcliffe is that he's not scared of making big calls.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/ ... -cup-split

Ratcliffe comes over as a knob of the highest order
Has fucked up what used to be the best cycling team in the world and is slowly ruining Man Utd (though thre Glazers are probably more guilty than him)!

[Hugo]

Cant say I know much of Ratcliffes background - and I don't follow the fortunes of Manchester United all that closely - but it's interesting that since he came onboard they have regressed even further.

They were thinking that he would turn the ship around but he seems to be having the opposite effect. I've also read that he's a tight bastard who has laid a load of staff off and generally put a lot of noses out of joint.

[S/Lt_Phillips]

Comments from Ethan Hayter (I think) on why he left Ineos Grenadiers to go to Soudal are interesting. He says the culture is poor and it's more like working in an office rather than a cycling team. Don't know if Radcliffe is the driver of that, but they say culture comes from the top.

[charltom]

This bloke doesn't exactly do much for the reputation of the British as good losers:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360457790 ... ericas-cup

His main complaint seems to be several variations on "it's not fair". He also has a curiously linear understanding of how improvement works, and his Olympics "level playing field" conveniently omits mentioning that he was thumped by Burling and Tuke in the 2016 games, who then spent the next 5 years on America's Cup boats before literally hopping back into the 49er just before the 2021 games. Apparently preparation advantages are perfectly ok when he's the one benefiting from them...

That's a very one eyed reading of that article. Everything he says in it is true, and much of it is quite positive in outlook.

[Hugo]

I know this is the Americas Cup thread so not meaning to clog it with only loosely related stuff but this is to do with Jim Ratcliffe since he was being discussed here.

Here again is the latest round of layoffs at Manchester United:

https://x.com/BBCMOTD/status/1894017033047593008

Laying off the working class staff yet the losses the club has incurred are almost certainly the consequence of silly contracts for obscene money paid to underperforming players - Man U are currently 15th.

I understand it's a business not a charity but making the working class employees take the hit for bad managerial decisions at board level just makes me feel appalled.