The 33rd America’s Cup came to a conclusion on Valentine’s Day 2010.  BMW/Oracle won decisively with a 5 minute/2300 meter lead when she crossed the finish line.  This race was a bit more competitive than the first race last Friday.  At least to the windward mark.  Alinghi again fouled at the start by misjudging their entry into the start box, which gave BMW/Oracle a 24 sec lead off the line.  Alinghi made up some time and actually took the lead for a while on the windward leg by finding some stronger air and a favorable wind shift.  BMW/Oracle was able to gain ground and rounded the windward mark 28 seconds ahead and didn’t look back on the two reaching legs, reaching speeds of 33 knots in only 6-9 knots of wind, incredible!

The Golden Gate Yacht Club is now the holder of the oldest cup in international sports.  Rumors have begun to arise that the next challenge will offer a more level playing field.   It will be nice if they reverted to a more “one design” approach.  Hopefully a mono-hull design to facilitate the upwind tacking duels.  This cup challenge was really nothing more than a drag race between two multi-million dollar experiments.  BMW/Oracle proved herself the better, and faster boat.   Congratulations to the BMW/Oracle team!  Thanks for bringing the Cup home…

Finally, after two race postponements the 33rd Challenge for the America’s Cup got underway today in Valencia Spain.  The first time in history two multi-hulled boats are racing for the cup.  Alinghi  had a large composite main sail and BMW/Oracle was flying a huge segmented, rigid wing, two very different technologies.  With 8-10 knots of wind, each boat was averaging between 16 and 24 knots.    An incredible speed in such light conditions.  Unfortunately the race was over almost before it started.  Alinghi (SUI) fouled

BMW/Oracle (USA) before the start of the  race and earned herself a 270 degree penalty turn.  BMW/Oracle proved herself to be a faster boat that can point 3-4 degrees closer to the wind which translates into a much shorter distance to the windward mark.  By the time BMW/Oracle crossed the finish line she had opened up a 3500 meter, 15 min lead over the Swiss boat.  The next race is scheduled for Sunday in this best of three showdown.  Stronger winds have been predicted, could this give Alinghi the edge?  We’ll have to wait and see.

February 2010 in Valencia, Spain the Swiss boat Alinghi 5 will attempt to defend the America’s Cup against challenger BMW/Oracle.  Gone are the days of mono-hull sleds with their awesome tacking duels on the upwind legs.  These new multi-hulls are fast, cool, and look like they just stepped out of science fiction.  They have one huge draw back though,  they maneuver like slugs.  So what is going to become of the jockeying at the start, the upwind duels?  Will it just be a extremely expensive drag race?  We’ll see on February 8th.

A Catamaran (two hulls) vs. a Trimaran (three hulls).  My money is on the tri.