# America's Cup/Louis Vuitton/Sailing



## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Oh for the love of sports! I am trying to find today's race of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the knock out rounds to determine the Challenger for the America's Cup to be sailed in September on San Francisco Bay.
Today is Race 3, and while NBC and America's Cup websites say they have it, it looks like NBC Sports Extra is not available on DIRECTV; Youtube says "It's not available in your country", and none of the NBC stations here show it in their guides at 4 or 7 PM PDT, nor does Comcast Sports Bay Area have it listed. Am I SOL? I am guessing I can watch it on Youtube after it airs delayed on what stations do carry it (KNTV in SF will no doubt air it, and I have written KCRA in Sacramento, not holding breath on that).I'll also check into those stations at four and seven in case the Guide is wrong and it will be aired here. 
But very much open to any other ideas.... or just commiseration. (!)


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## yosoyellobo (Nov 1, 2006)

I see it on channel 220 at 7:00pm


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

yosoyellobo said:


> I see it on channel 220 at 7:00pm


That's what I have in my To Do list as well.

Hopefully NBC Sports won't run a ticker at the bottom with the results as Comcast Bay Area did the other evening..


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Thanks, Gents; just in time; it shows here in 15 minutes, just when I finish watching the 49ers mess up big time.

I guess I'll have to add the 220 to my list of checks; DIRECTV Smart Search didn't turn up anything under "sailing". Now if that term is left out of tags, do they have robots doing the coding??


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## yosoyellobo (Nov 1, 2006)

It will show under yachting.


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

Laxguy said:


> Thanks, Gents; just in time; it shows here in 15 minutes, just when I finish watching the 49ers mess up big time.
> 
> I guess I'll have to add the 220 to my list of checks; DIRECTV Smart Search didn't turn up anything under "sailing". Now if that term is left out of tags, do they have robots doing the coding??


At that level, it's yachting not sailing! The difference - the number of zeros in the owners checking account


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Those racing boats aren't yacht-like. A yacht is large (as are these), elegant looking (72's are not) comfortable (72's are not) and full of amenities, such as a full galley, private heads and showers, and... well, you get the picture. 

Besides, "yachting" is questionable as a verb.....


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## yosoyellobo (Nov 1, 2006)

fluffybear said:


> At that level, it's yachting not sailing! The difference - the number of zeros in the owners checking account


What would it be call if you are sailing in a pond?-


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## VDP07 (Feb 22, 2006)

The 72's are quite impressive cats. Fast, Fast, Fast. 37+ knots today. Problem is, unlike many of the 12 meter Cup races of the 70's and 80's, the best 72, not the best crew, will end up winning the 2013 Cup. While much slower, painfully slow at times, I prefer the skill, tactics and variables of 12 meter Americas Cup racing.


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

I have very mixed feelings about this A/C.....the technology is awesome and watching those big birds hydrofoil through a jibe is incredible. The TV coverage and personal viewing is way better than ever before. Yet the drama and tension is somehow not as great. I'm not convinced that the crew isn't the major factor here, especially in the current series, where Artemis seems to have the same boatspeed, but can't manage to stay up on the foils the way Luna Rossa can.... 

I'd like to see boats limited to nationals, from skipper down to tailer/grinder.


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## kikkenit2 (Oct 26, 2006)

I have sports pack and starting with race 5 it is on channel 698 with replays on 642.
I think 220 starts showing English soccer then. Wonder how many fish those foils 
are slicing through at 40 mph? Can't wait to see one snap off.


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

VDP07 said:


> The 72's are quite impressive cats. Fast, Fast, Fast. 37+ knots today. Problem is, unlike many of the 12 meter Cup races of the 70's and 80's, the best 72, not the best crew, will end up winning the 2013 Cup. While much slower, painfully slow at times, I prefer the skill, tactics and variables of 12 meter Americas Cup racing.


I also enjoyed the 12 meter boats much more than anything since.


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

Laxguy said:


> I have very mixed feelings about this A/C.....the technology is awesome and watching those big birds hydrofoil through a jibe is incredible. The TV coverage and personal viewing is way better than ever before. Yet the drama and tension is somehow not as great. I'm not convinced that the crew isn't the major factor here, especially in the current series, where Artemis seems to have the same boatspeed, but can't manage to stay up on the foils the way Luna Rossa can....
> 
> I'd like to see boats limited to nationals, from skipper down to tailer/grinder.


so far, I personally don't care for the TV coverage. We will see if my opinion changes once we get to the finals..

The one thing I really dislike is the NBC personalities seem to have no clue a commercial break is upon them and are cut off in mid sentence.


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## VDP07 (Feb 22, 2006)

While the venue may be nice for the Wharf Front viewers, it seems as if the course is to small for the speeds these boats are reaching. I'd like to see the boundry lines widened making more of the Bay's currents and wind shifts available to the crews.


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## VDP07 (Feb 22, 2006)

Watched the last of the Louis Vuitton Cup Finals over the weekend. As bad as Chris Draper and team Luna Rosa took it to Team Artemis in the semis, Dean Barker and the crew of ETNZ made that match look competitive by comparison. If not for a mechanical failure in race #2, it would have been a 7-0 sweep by the Kiwi's

As I alluded to earlier, we may know by the end of the first or second leg of the AC Finals which team will ultimatly take home the cup. If the boat speeds are close (.25 -.5 kts. maybe), crew tactics and skill could possibly overcome the difference in speed. If not, I see myself fast forwarding thru much of the challenge. 

I still am amazed at the speeds the 72's are reaching. I think I saw in race #7 where the Kiwis hit 56 mph!


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## Laxguy (Dec 2, 2010)

Yes, they did! 

And, unfortunately, I agree with your analysis. 

The current course very much limits the tracks the boats can take, as so far all races seem to have been scheduled for a hefty flood or ebb tide. Slack water would give more options, but the way it's set up dictates that the boats have to choose their tacks and jibes based on currents, and less on tactics. So, if you're behind, the traditional tactic of choosing a different course than the leader won't work....neither will following him! Draper won only one start, IRRC, and that wasn't brilliant given his was a very slightly slower boat.


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