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AMERICA'S CUP FOR BEGINNERS ( 32nd ACC)
INTRODUCTION
Superior speed is rarely enough to win a race on its own
Although the America's Cup competition is as much about design
technology as it is about sailing boats, superior speed is rarely
enough to win a race on its own. The seventeen active crew members
on board each boat are at the top of their game and must each
give their absolute best in the effort to win.
America's Cup match racing is a team effort
Whether it is the foredeck crew luring the helmsman to bring the
bow of the boat towards the start line in the last moments of
a heated countdown, or the grinders putting their backs into the
winch handles for the 37th tack on the third upwind leg of a race
being sailed in 23 knots of wind, or whether it is the tactician
who has to make that one crucial, risky and opportunist decision
at the only time during a two-hour race when a chance to break
the control of the leading boat presents itself, America's Cup
match racing is a team effort; a team effort of the highest order,
but one where the nuances are occasionally difficult to understand.
Blocking the opponent's chances
All yacht racing is about winning but winning a match race means
beating just one other boat. The basic principal, a bit like marking
an opponent in a ball game, consists of blocking the opponent's
chances of passing by placing your boat firmly between the opponent
and the next mark. But to do that you have to be in front and
in control. If you are behind match racing consists of drawing
the leader on a merry dance around the course to try and force
him into making a mistake, or putting yourself in a position where
your superior speed can be used to get past.
Getting more analytical about it, match racing has three key segments,
the pre-start - the five minute countdown to the start gun, the
first leg - the section from the start gun to rounding the first
mark about one sixth of the way into the course, and the rest
- from rounding the first mark of the course to crossing the finish
line, the remaining five sixths of the distance.
ACC BOAT - THE WEAPON
The class of boat used for the 32nd America's Cup is the America's
Cup Class (ACC). It is designed to a specific rule with several
hard and soft limits, and trades length, weight and sail area,
the three major factors involved in sailboat performance. The
designers must make decisions to come up with the best solution
of trade-offs for the weather conditions expected.
This class has been used for the America's Cup competition since
1992 and more than 80 have been built; 19 alone for the 31st America's
Cup. Each syndicate is allowed to build a maximum of two new boats
for the 32nd America's Cup and they must be built in the country
of origin of the yacht club the team represents.
Every America's Cup team sets up its sailing team in a slightly
different manner. The strengths and weaknesses and the experience
of the specific personnel on a team will dictate what division
of duties will work best for that team. This is a 'typical' set-up
for an America's Cup sailing team.
1 - Bowman
Bowmen are usually strong, acrobatic, and have large reserves
of courage. The bowman must connect the sheets and halyards to
the headsails and spinnakers when sails are changed, including
attaching sheets to the outboard end of the spinnaker pole, which
usually means dangling above and in front of the boat. The bowman
is called upon to scale the mast whenever there is a problem aloft
and also calls the startline and overlaps, relaying distance information
to the afterguard with handsignals.
2 - Mid-Bow 3 - Sewer
The midbow / sewer is a very physical position, demanding great
strength, agility and at times an iron-clad stomach to avoid seasickness.
On deck, the midbowman works with the mast and pit crew during
sail changes. Usually, the midbow also runs the 'sewer' below
decks, packing and stowing all the sails before and after changes.
That means plenty of time below on a bucking boat, with water
pouring through the hatches - hence the term sewer.
4 - Pitman
The pitman usually manages the forward part of the boat, coordinating
all the halyards and sail changes that take place during a race.
The pitman usually doubles as a grinder, so size and strength
are good characteristics for this job.
5 - Foredeck / Mast
The mastman works closely with the pitman, especially during sail
hoists, using his weight on the halyard to raise the sail with
the grinders and pitman taking up the slack. During a spinnaker
gybe, the mastman often works with the bow team.
6/7 - Grinders
In a very real sense, the grinders are the engine of an America's
Cup boat. They man the winches that reel in all the sheets and
halyards, putting immense stress on their bodies during any sail
hoist, tack or gybe as they spend long periods of inactivity punctuated
by sudden explosive bursts of energy.
8/9 - Trimmers
The genoa and spinnaker trimmers control the sails at the front
of the boat. Sailing upwind, they work with the skipper/helmsman
to determine whether the boat sails as close to the wind as possible,
sacrificing speed, or sails a slightly lower, longer course at
a faster speed. Both 'modes' are important, depending on the tactical
situation on the race course. The best trimmers can instinctively
generate more speed from the boat, as the tactical situation requires,
before the onboard computers can pick it up.
10 - Mainsail
Grinder Works the big 'coffee grinder' winch that controls the
mainsail.
11 - Mainsail Trimmer
The mainsail trimmer controls the position of the mainsail, and
is very important in helping the helmsman switch between 'high'
and 'fast' modes.
12 - Runners Controls the running backstay, and works with
the trimmers and helmsman to keep the boat at target VMG (speed).
Usually helps the rest of the afterguard with boat on boat tactics.
13 - Traveller Works the mainsail traveller, controlling
speed upwind, and helps the afterguard.
14 - Helmsman / Skipper
The skipper is responsible for making the final tactical decisions
on the boat. The helmsman steers the boat, and is responsible
for maximizing speed in all situations. The helmsman must also
be prepared to respond to fast developing, tactical situations,
and instinctively know where to place the boat. This may or may
not be the same person.
15 - Navigator
The navigator uses the on-board computers and electronics to relay
information to the tactician, helmsman, and strategist.
16/17 - Tactician / Strategist
The tactician and strategist work with the rest of the afterguard
on race strategy, both immediate and long-term. They distil information
from the trimmers, the helmsman, and the navigator before forming
a plan. During intense manoeuvres they may assist in the crew
work.
INTRODUCTION TO THE RULES
The simplicity of the America's Cup is a major source of attraction
to many people. The concept of the duel, of two boats on the race
course fighting for supremacy, one winner, one loser, is hard
to beat as a governing idea.
But that simplicity is ultimately created by quite a heavy stack
of rules, many specific just to the America's Cup, some common
to all yacht racing.
The 'Deed of Gift' is the original document creating the America's
Cup. In the years after America won the 100 Guinea Cup in 1851,
the ownership syndicate donated the Cup to the New York Yacht
Club under a Deed of Gift, which stated that the trophy was to
be "a perpetual challenge cup for friendly competition between
nations." Thus was born the America's Cup, named after the winning
yacht America. The Deed of Gift, with a few subsequent amendments,
is the basic document governing the event to this day.
The 'Protocol for the 32nd America's Cup' was drafted in March
2003 by the winning Yacht Club, the Société Nautique de Genève
and the Challenger of Record, the Golden Gate Yacht Club. It outlines
the general rules and format of the 32nd America's Cup.
The 'Terms of Challenge' document details the rights and obligations
of the participants and organisers of the 32nd America's Cup.
The America's Cup Class Rule provides the detailed measurement
constraints and tolerances for an America's Cup Class yacht. Version
4 of the Class Rule was in force for the 31st America's and is
the rule that will be used to measure the boats for 2004. Version
5 of the America's Cup Class Rule comes into force for 2005 and
onwards. Version 5 of the rule allows more sail area, a lighter
boat, but with deeper draft keel, providing the same stability
as before. The result is a lighter, faster boat, 'turbo-charged'
for 32nd America's Cup.
Once the boats are on the water, racing is governed by the Racing
Rules of Sailing, with general amendments for Match Racing, and
some further specific amendments for the America's Cup.
A major improvement to Match Racing in recent years has been the
advent of the on-the-water Umpire system, which has streamlined
the results process, and all but eliminated protests concerning
the application of the Racing Rules of Sailing.
On the water Umpires are similar to referees in other sports,
making instant judgements, and handing out penalties as required.
Umpires will be used in both the Fleet Racing and Match Racing
formats of the 32nd America's Cup.
THE BATTLEFIELD
The race course is specifically set out to test the balance between
boat speed and match racing ability in a team. The course is up
to 18.55 nautical miles in length and consists of up to three
laps of a right-handed windward-leeward course between a windward
mark at the top of the course and a leeward gate near the bottom
of the course. The start and finish line are the same at the bottom
of the course.
To express their ability with boat speed and tactical skill
The leg lengths are the perfect size for allowing the crews on
each boat to express their ability with boat speed and tactical
skill. If the legs were much longer the boat speed element would
dominate and no matter how good a crew was a faster boat would
just about always win. If the legs were much shorter the tactical
ability only of a crew would dictate the outcome and a boat's
finishing position would be based on the situation just after
the start.
A leeward gate
As it is always hard to pass when trailing, several features have
been incorporated into the race course to give the trailing boat
a chance. The mark rounding at the top of the course is to starboard
which often gives the trailing boat an advantage if they are close
when they approach from the right. The second feature, new for
the 32nd America's Cup, is a leeward gate, two buoys placed approximately
6 boat lengths apart, between which each boat must pass before
rounding one or the other and starting the next upwind leg. By
rounding the buoy not used by the leading boat this gate always
gives the trailing boat the opportunity to start the next leg
differently with a significant amount of lateral separation and
the chance to break cover.
To place its wind shadow
The final feature that helps the trailing boat is the downwind
finish. On the upwind legs the leading boat dictates the tactics
in a match race and is able to place its wind shadow where it
wants on the trailing boat to keep it behind. On the downwind
leg the reverse applies and the trailing boat is in a more advantageous
position, and is often able to blanket the wind blowing towards
the leading boat and sail past. As the last leg of the race is
always downwind, close finishes and last minute upsets are always
possible.
THE PRE-START
The pre-start is the most exciting part of the race and is often
the hardest to understand. The start is obviously the first place
that one of the two teams can get into the lead and so winning
the start is of the utmost importance. Who has won the start is
also not always immediately obvious. Crossing the start line ahead
may be less important than starting on the favoured side of the
line, or having the ability to tack and control your position
immediately after the gun has fired.
In the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup, the first boat across the start
line won the race 51% of the time. The teams crossed at the same
time in 9% of the races, and in 40% of the races, the second boat
across the start line went on to win the race.
Which side of the course should be protected
Every race day on the tow out to the course each crew is thinking
about the day's opponents. What happened last time they met, and
the specific strengths or weakness of the opposite team will be
considered. Will today's conditions suit us more, is our skipper
on fire, is the team tired, have we got the right sails on board?
These are questions that the afterguard as it formulates a race
plan. Then there is the weather. The big question before the start
for both boats is which way will the wind shift first after the
start gun has fired and so which side of the course should be
protected.
Communications blackout
A ten-minute warning gun is fired to bring the racing crew to
attention and to give them time to get rid of unwanted sails and
equipment and collect the last bits of intelligence from the weather
team and coaches before a communications blackout with the rest
of the world begins. When the five-minute gun is fired and the
crews are under the starters' orders, no outside assistance is
allowed.
To dominate the opposition
With all of the strategic and tactical questions answered, a crew
will take its boat downwind into the starting box as the five-minute
gun has fired and engage the opponent. For the purposes of identification
the boat entering from the right hand end of the line will fly
a yellow flag from its stern whereas the boat entering from the
left hand end will fly a blue flag. The five-minute countdown
to the start gun, often called the pre-start period, is used by
both opponents to attempt to dominate the opposition through a
series of manoeuvres, set plays and good old-fashioned skill.
The pre-start period has two aims, firstly to start well and on
the correct side of your opponent and secondly to avoid being
penalised whilst trying to force a penalty onto the opponent in
the close quarter manoeuvring.
The most sought after skills in an America's Cup helmsman
Judging the time and distance in the final approach to the start
line with the aim of hitting it at full speed as the gun goes
is a critical timing moment and represents one of the most sought
after skills in an America's Cup helmsman. Cross too early and
a boat must return and start again, losing time to the opposition.
Cross too late and the opposition will benefit from this oversight.
Only one of the boats has the left or the right
As the start gun goes the two boats will be seen crossing the
start line heading upwind towards the first mark. But a closer
look at the pair will reveal that one boat has is on the left,
while the other has the right side of the race course. They may
be close, one might have crossed the line ahead of the other but
only one of the boats has the left or the right. As the wind shifts
in one direction or the other, the boat on the side of the direction
of the wind shift will benefit.
UMPIRES AND WHISTLE BLOWING
All major events have an International Jury
Yacht racing is a gentlemanly sport and one of the unique elements
of the pastime was the ability to protest the outcome of a race
if one of the competitors felt there had been a breach of the
rules. All major sailing events have an International Jury composed
of at least five rules specialists who may, if asked, conduct
a hearing to establish the facts and determine if there has indeed
been a breach of the rules and then what the punishment should
be. This unfortunately often meant that the outcome of the race
could be overturned in a hearing ashore hours later. For an event
with a popular fan base and an ever hungry media, the possibility
of a result being overturned hours after the race had finished
was not a healthy state of affairs.
On-the-Water Umpires
In 1992, at the start of the current America's Cup Class generation,
On-the-Water Umpires were introduced and started speeding around
the race-course in small powerboats monitoring incidents and doling
out penalties and instant justice. Their job then, as it is now,
is to determine if any of the Racing Rules of Sailing have been
broken during the match and to respond to protest calls from either
of the two competing yachts. The umpires can impose a penalty
turn on an infringing boat, which requires a turn through at least
270 degrees of arc, one gybe on an upwind leg and one tack on
a downwind leg, to exonerate oneself. This turn often represents
a loss of more than 30 seconds, enough for the outcome of the
race to be altered.
A yellow and red diagonally-striped protest flag
During the pre-start and elsewhere around the course both boats
manoeuvre against each other, sometimes in extremely confined
waters, and often less than a metre apart from each other. This
game of wits often results in protests from one or other of the
boats, although actual collisions are indeed rare. By hoisting
a yellow and red diagonally-striped protest flag, a yacht is requesting
the umpires to penalise the other boat following what the protesting
yacht considers to have been a breach of the right of way rules.
The umpires must consider the situation quickly and make a decision
about the true facts before communicating back to the two yachts.
If the umpires consider there has not been any breach they will
fly a green flag - all-clear. If however one or the other yacht
has indeed breached one of the right of way rules the umpires
will fly either a blue or yellow flag corresponding to the boat
that is at fault.
The penalty turn must be completed before the boat finishes the
course but it can be carried out at any time around unless it
is the second penalty that a boat has collected, in which case
a penalty turn must be carried out straight away.
To try and force the opponent into a foul
A yacht with a penalty can decide to race around the course and
try and get a sufficient buffer of distance between it and the
opponent to make the penalty turn and still remain in the lead.
Alternatively, if this is proving impossible, a penalised boat
can try and force the opponent into a foul that is in turn penalised
by the umpires. This has the effect of offsetting and cancelling
the first penalty.
On-the-Water Umpires dramatically changed the face of match racing
and gave us what we now have today; a highly refined version of
an old art. The battle on the water now also involves forcing
the opponent into a foul situation whilst avoiding the aggressive
advances of the opponent trying to achieve the same ends. Thankfully
there are now seldom protests after races and these only concern
technical issues and never the right of way rules - The first
boat across the finish line is the winner.
Source: www.americascup.com
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