America’s Cup!

I am not really much of a sports enthusiast.

Actually I quite like to participate in sports, though I have to admit that I prefer solo endeavors (cycling, sailing, windsurfing, snowboarding etc) over team sports.  Still, I have a hard time understanding the draw that many people have towards watching other people play sports.  And along those lines, I cannot for the life of me figure out why someone would want to wear a sporting jersey – for a sport they don’t even play, mind you – with another man’s name on the back!?  The mind boggles.

Regardless, for the first time since WrestleMania VII, I find myself excited to watch an upcoming televised sporting event!  Even further, it’s an event that I previously found really boring, so you can infer that they’ve basically stepped it up a notch.

And what a notch it is!  This year’s America’s Cup will be raced with multihull sailboats for the first time… ever, as far as I know.

Rather than write about it ad nauseum, I’m just going to post a bunch of photos lifted from an email I received, the originator of which apparently took them directly from Sail-World‘s website.

"Team USA", the BMW/Oracle "BOR90" trimaran training off the coast of San Diego.  The team wear helmets and are chased by powerboats carrying divers and paramedics.  They've hit 50kn so far - about 100km/hour!
"Team USA", the BMW/Oracle "BOR90" trimaran training off the coast of San Diego. The team wear helmets and are chased by powerboats carrying divers and paramedics. They've hit 50kn so far - about 100km/hour!


The old mast - about eighteen stories tall, and made of hollow carbon fiber - they can send a man up inside it!
The old mast - about eighteen stories tall, and made of hollow carbon fiber - they can send a man up inside it!


The BOR90 is as long as she is wide - 90 feet square.
The BOR90 is as long as she is wide - 90 feet square.


The defender of the Cup!  The swiss team have entered a catamaran, named "Alinghi"
The defender of the Cup! The swiss team have entered a catamaran, named "Alinghi"


Alinghi flying a hull a day after her christening!
Alinghi flying a hull a day after her christening!


Quickly running out of space at 40kn on Lake Geneva...
Quickly running out of space at 40kn on Lake Geneva...


What's that?  A shackle is missing?  Let me just go fix that...
What's that? A shackle is missing? Let me just go fix that...


Lake Geneva is too small, so it's an airlift to Genoa, Italy!
Lake Geneva is too small, so it's an airlift to Genoa, Italy!


That's a Russian cargo helicopter that can lift 40 tonnes and has a crew of 16... Alinghy weighs a mere 8,000lbs.
That's a Russian cargo helicopter that can lift 40 tonnes and has a crew of 16... Alinghy weighs a mere 8,000lbs.


Holy crap, I can’t wait to see this.  These spacecraft sailing multihulls are up to three times as fast as the boats used in previous America’s Cup races, and as I’m sure you can understand, trimarans hold a special significance for me.  I will definitely be attending some kind of America’s Cup party!