Please select your home edition
Edition
Craftinsure 2023 LEADERBOARD

ORACLE TEAM USA unplugged

by Mark Jardine 24 Jun 2017 21:23 BST 24 June 2017
A happier Jimmy Spithill after ORACLE TEAM USA's race win on day 3 of the 35th America's Cup Match © ACEA 2017 / Gilles Martin-Raget

The American team have clearly been busy during the five days off between races in the 35th America's Cup... very busy. The Kiwi's much-heralded upwind VMG speed advantage would seem to be gone completely as ORACLE TEAM USA have made some significant gains all around the race track.

The day itself saw honours even, with each team winning a race and the overall scoreline moving to 4-1 in Emirates Team New Zealand's favour, but the swing in momentum towards ORACLE TEAM USA was massive as they won the second race on Saturday. Jimmy Spithill had his head held high and a spring in his step as he went around the crew shaking hands and slapping backs.

So what have the American team managed to do to turn what was looking like a potential Kiwi whitewash into a competitive yacht race? All the talk is about a reduction of weight in the boat and making the foil package more extreme.

On the weight front, gone is Tom Slingsby's cyclor station at the back of the boat. I'm sure there are a host of other changes as well, but I doubt we'll ever be privy to what has happened inside the hidden compartments throughout the boat.

On the foils, major changes have been made to the rudders and their elevators (the foils at the bottom of the rudder blade). The main foils also look to be canting further outboard and now have a kink at the end - not as extreme as on Emirates Team New Zealand, but very noticeable.

The trade-off for the speed gains seem to be on the control front. In Saturday's first race the team came off the foils a few times, ultimately costing them the race. It looks like the ORACLE TEAM USA America's Cup Class boat is now a very tricky beast to sail. Changes on these boats take a while to get used to, and Jimmy and his team simply haven't had that time to fully understand the foil package changes.

If an analogy was made to a rock band, ORACLE TEAM USA are now unplugged: gone are the amplifiers and the backing singers, and instead the core group have to get everything note perfect - every mistake can be spotted and punished instantly.

The other major change in today's final race, and one that is long overdue for a skipper and team that pride themselves on their match-racing skill, was ORACLE TEAM USA winning the start. The first race of the day saw them over the line for the second time in the America's Cup Match; once was bad enough, but two is a serious own-goal for a team on the back foot. With the boats far more evenly matched on the race course, not making mistakes is going to become vital and the Americans have simply made too many mistakes.

The great news for the America's Cup itself is that we now have a yacht race on our hands. I for one was predicting a Kiwi whitewash, but I'm very happy to be proved wrong in this respect. With sailing on the world stage, the last thing we want to showcase is a mismatch. While the Kiwis are still in the box seat, we can at least look forward to close racing, more place changing and a real battle on the water.

Jimmy Spithill and ORACLE TEAM USA pulled off the most spectacular comeback of all time in 2013... is it just possible they could do it again?

Related Articles

The oldest video footage of Moth sailing
A look back into our video archive, to when the name of this class first settled down We delve into our video archive to find the oldest possible videos that show Moth racing. Are these International Moths, British Moths... or was the name still Olive, Inverloch 11ft, National Moth or Brent One-Design?! Posted on 6 Jul
The power of tech
What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? What is the cost of safety? How do you measure it? More importantly, how do you appreciate it? Posted on 2 Jul
An evening with the Scaramouche Sailing Trust
Sailing hasn't always been a sport for inner-city state schools like the Greig City Academy Sailing hasn't always been a sport for inner-city state schools like the Greig City Academy (GCA). But they've shown it can be accessible to everyone, with amazing results. Posted on 2 Jul
Jazz Turner completes Project FEAR
Drama right to the end in her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles Jazz Turner has completed Project FEAR, her non-stop, solo, unassisted navigation of the British Isles in her Albin 27 yacht. A flotilla of supporters met her in Seaford Bay, which grew and grew the closer they came to Brighton Marina. Posted on 1 Jul
Project FEAR is in the final few days
Charity circumnavigation almost over, in record time, with a record total raised Jazz Turner is expected to reach home (Brighton Marina) on Monday 30th June or Tuesday 1st July. She has sailed round the British Isles - all round Ireland and the Shetland Islands - without any assistance in 27 days so far. Posted on 28 Jun
Funding for clubs transforms sailing opportunities
During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from UK clubs about their experiences During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from a range of UK clubs, walking through their case studies, and then heard from experts in finance who talked us through the opportunities and pitfalls of acquiring funds. Posted on 26 Jun
A brief history of marine instrument networks
Hugh Agnew has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge One man who has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge, is Hugh Agnew, the Cambridge-educated mathematician who is one of the founders of A+T Instruments in Lymington, so I spoke to him to find out more... Posted on 25 Jun
Project FEAR turns southwards
Charity circumnavigation progress report from the Shetland Islands Last month I didn't even know that Muckle Flugga existed. Yet today, the very name of the island brought tears of emotion to my eyes, as I heard Jazz Turner scream it out in victory, in a video she took when passing the lighthouse. Posted on 22 Jun
The Big Bash
Every summer the tournament rolls into town. A short format of the game. Fun and excitement abound. Every summer the tournament rolls into town. Local and international players. A short format of the game, run over a relatively compact six-week season. Posted on 15 Jun
The oldest video footage of Kiel Week
A look back into our video archive at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s In our series of articles looking back in time through our video archive, we visit Germany. Kiel Week is been a crucial event on the world circuit, and here we look back at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s. Posted on 15 Jun