Oracle declines to race.

[Silk]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11122791

Oracle pulled the postponement card for the 2nd race on wednesday, they are getting a bit of stick from Kiwi fans.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11122974

Looks like we might be getting the Cup back, I didn't think we'd see it again when it got so expensive to compete. We are always the underdog on everything but skill.

 

[IndyIan]

I saw the first two races on TV and it wasn't much of a contest.
I don't know what they can do to tune up their boat in a couple days, but they have to try something!

 

[Smoky14]

Install a couple J79s with afterburners

 

[hattaresguy]

Meh not my kind of sailing, although I know a few people who are out in CA watching it.

 

[Schmoe]

Kiwi's boat is just faster, especially upwind. They've had better tacking as well. Part of it is lack of experience on the American side. Kiwi's had to do through a lot of time trials against other boats, whereas the American's didn't. They just basically waited until the challenger shows up. That experience the Kiwi's got is simply kicking our arshes. On top of that, American's got a 2 point penalty. We will have to win 10 races to keep the cup....ain't going to happen. They are trying a football tactic....call time out when "Big Mo" starts shifting to the other side. I think we're going to lose the cup.

 

[javacontour]

Larry will not be pleased.

 

[Silk]

Originally Posted By: Schmoe
They just basically waited until the challenger shows up.


That's what happened when we lost the Cup - built the boat in a vacuum, ran it against a sister boat, and when the real races started it was just useless.

 

[Schmoe]

That AC72 class is a monster. It's almost more about technology than skill. If you can read numbers on wind speed, current direction, weather, etc. etc. you can predict the most accurate path as opposed to "flying by the seat of your pants." I seriously doubt that when the deed was written in England and then went to NYYC in the late 1800's, they had considered technology to be the ultimate game player. It's not about the sailor's anymore, but who has the best computer power and raw data and whom can interpolate that better. Seems like Oracle systems ain't cutting it.....Kiwi's just look sharper.