Maggie's Farm

Not designed to be beautiful - designed to be fast - very fast.

While true enough, the R&D that goes into a boat like Alinghi or BMW-Oracle does not really benefit anybody other than the people who build these boats. Certain principles of naval architecture are constants - the physics of moving a hull through water are immutable and varied. Water density has as much to do with how a boat moves as does wind, tide, temperature...those are only part of a whole host of factors that one cannot control no matter how much you engineer and research a boat design.

Admittedly, the materials science in these boats are something that requires some thought, but even there the mechanics of forming, shaping and strengthing a hull and sail plan are fairly well known concepts. Yes you handle carbon fiber differently, but the concept of reactive resins to set and shape carbon sheets are the same as fiberglass - you have compensate for humidity, temperature and catalyst induction times for the resins - same as fiberglass - in fact, the same tables are used.

I will grant that the whole idea of the rigid wing sail was innovative, but it is not a completely unknown concept - it was one of those ideas that was waiting for the materials technology to catch up to it.

It is really more the application of basic engineering principles using given materials in designing boats rather pure R&D to discover something new.

Well yes - it is his to do with as he wishes. It's all written down in the "Deed of Gift" for the America's Cup.

I think he would like to open up the competition to others and make it like it used to be. You have to remember that the money war in America's Cup racing wasn't started by the Americans - it was started by the Aussies, continued by the Kiwis from New Zealand and extended by the Swiss. Ellison was playing by their rules and he won. It is true that he won some rules battles with Alinghi, but in the end, he used their rules against them.

And that was how the Aussies won in '83. They went with shaving the edges of the design rules very closely, but in the end, it was legal.

Setting up a system in which one design boats with strict rules, set with a monetary limit to design, build would being competition back to what it was originally all about - seamanship. A racing campaign costing $5-6 million, half of that being boat costs, is doable with sponsorship. $400 million, which is what Ellison spent, is a little out of reach for the average syndicate.

There is a great picture in Google Images of the Oracle boat flying two hulls of the water. And it didn't have it's rigid sail installed yet. :>)

Actually, it was the aircraft engine industry that first made use of early carbon fiber - can't remember who exactly - maybe United Technologies? just looked it up - Rolls Royce and, as strange as it may seem, the British are really the main developers of carbon fiber in the early days. Who knew?

Yes, I remember "Inventions and Technology" very well. Glad to see it is still being published.

And back in the good old days of NASCAR when you could actually tell car models apart, car dealers used to say "Win on Sunday, Sales on Monday". :>)

Which, when you think about it, might help our sagging marine manufacturing sector. Worked for Hobie and has worked very well for Vanguard who makes the Sunfish and Laser makes of simple sail boats. They sell those two models all over the world.

Side note: I've been to the Vanguard factory in Bristol, RI. Amazing operation.

ensured that the Cup would stay with the NYYC

Oh I agree - not even worth an argument drat the luck. :>)

Time will tell of course whether Ellison makes good on his idea. And I like the double elimination idea - that's a good one.