America's cup - ya ol' mug

“Team Alinghi is going to win ya ol' mug for Switzerland again. No chance for the Kiwis.
Alinghi already sounds like a battle cry. Fly Emirates New Zealand simply doesn't sound that cool anyway...”

“Alinghi by 13 seconds at fist mark, but Fly has boat speed going down wind.
last edited: 6/23/07 8:35:34 AM”

“Nothing to watch, boat speed won't even get Fly through the Alinghi near perfection.”

“When the Cup was removed from its case, why wasn't it replaced with Dennis Connor's head?  That was their stated policy, < G >

Being a former multihull sailor, I actually enjoyed those races between the catamaran and the aircraft carrier --- It was also a grand example of how crazy people with more money than God can be.



last edited: 6/23/07 9:06:24 AM”

“Nine feet and 45 pounds overall is my sailing limit. None of this 3-12 kts. watching grass grow for me. I watch the first races of each series, because I have all my life, but having known and having been involved up until 23 years ago, my concern is almost nothing.”

“Alinghi won with 32 seconds...”

“That boat is going to have to sink to lose with a 32 sec advantage. Yikes.”

“Seldom seen overtake and pass leads to Fly win by 28 seconds. Go NZ go. Forgot to say, The tactician and navigator( the brain trust) are both americans.
last edited: 6/24/07 11:42:56 AM”

“ok I'm confused... am I understanding correctly... the lead has shifted and is now 28 sec? so a minute was gained? Cowabunga.”

“Sorry for headline confusion, 'Alinghi' won the first race yesterday and 'Fly' won the second race today.
These mulibillionaires that toy with this little game don't have time for those that can't keep up. I can't believe I once spent so much time being serious about this nonsence.”

“Uncliff, you were a multibillionaire? What happened since then?”

“I gave it all back to the drug dealer that installed my original illusion. No, I was never , am nor will be that rich. I was in the sailboat business for years because I really liked sailing and racing, but, about 23 years ago I reached the saturation point and in a matter of a month moved inland to the desert to get away from that whole life style.”

“oh too bad, I was about to ask if you could teach me sailing. Now that Alinghi wins the America's cup again I am really keen on trying sailing myself.

What are you doing in the desert now?”

“I windsurf on a man made lake in my community and try to stay as far from the ocean as possible. I really did over saturate myself with ocean- boat thing and it's peoples ideas of what, to them ,is the ultimate lifestyle.”

“...mmmmm, which desert is it? Where?”

“Is the time cumulative, as in bicycle racing? or is the time unique to each race? I guess that is where my confusion lies. In other words, is the series tied one one or is Fly in the lead by 28 seconds?”

“It's all wins vs. losses.  Times reset to Zero for the next race, < VBG >”

“Well, maybe sailing isn't for me...I am actually shy of water and already had a couple of traumatic experiences. Usually I end up screaming and gurgling under the boat, kayak, bouy or what ever else gets into my way.”

“The Cup goes to the first boat to win 5 races.”

“I remember my brother taking Mom out on the Sunfish years ago.  They got about 50 feet from shore... The breeze freshened just a little and they  s l o w l y  heeled over to port: 45, 55, 65, 75° .... [splut]

The only thing my brother told her she could hold onto was the sheet --- and boy she had a deathgrip on that.”

“I almost grew up in an Old Town Sailing canoe. 17" of Old Town beauty with a 60# brass center board and a lanteen rig. I had so much fun in that thing. Including the time we were out and the wind switched rapidly catching us in a jibe. Over we went. My brother and I were in the canoe. My folks just about had a cow. But being teenagers, we thought the whole thing has hysterically fun.”

“Those impromptu jibes can be Extremely Large Fun... as long as you remember to duck!

When you hear the skipper say: "Prepare-to-jibe-helm-to-weather-JIBE-O!".....”

“Rest day, see ya Tues, 5:30pdt. race three, he he.”

“Waiting for wind to steady a bit for a start.”

“Still waiting , but looks like no race today, because a storm passed through last night which left a huge wave pattern and a condition of light and unstable winds.”

“Finally got a start- at first mark, NZ by one minute 23 seconds.”

“Wait --- There's some crazy woman in a kayak entering the course from the west....”

“She could probably learn some 'pottymouth 'from the Swiss boat crew about now. Their boat is faster , but having to sail a longer distance , because the NZ boat has an american tactician who is keeping the NZ boat on the right side of most wind shifts.
last edited: 6/26/07 10:58:18 AM”

“Aye!”

“An 800 meter lead by NZ given away by poor sail handling and lack of attention. SUI by
15 seconds at the second weather mark.”

“NZ wins on a flyer( to get away from the competition in hopes you will find better wind)on last down wind run. Great race.

NZ -2
SUI-1
last edited: 6/26/07 12:00:07 PM”

“Race #4-SUI by 20 seconds at first mark.”

“SUI wins #4 by 30 seconds.
SUI-2
NZ-2”

“Can somebody give me the latest update? I have been out of the country all week long for a company meeting and just now got home.
What's the score now?”

“thx”

“Race#6 SUI passes on second windward leg to win by 28 seconds over NZ.

NZ-2
SUI-4”

“Not bad for some mountain dwellers from a country without any coastline.”

“SUI has the money. That,s all you need is the money. Hi, Mike Bloomberg.”

“Mike Bloomberg is behind Alinghi?”

“No, I believe it is the money of Ernesto Bertinelli that brought Alinghi to the cup. 'All you need is money' Bloomberg has nothing to do with sailing and I can't imagine I'd confuse sailing and american Presdental politics-what does money have to do with either?”

“Allez Alinghi!

Well, all I know about Mike Bloomberg is that he was, or probably still is, my brothers boss.”

“Race #7 abandoned due to shifty winds- see ya wed.,for what can be the end to New Zealands challenge for four more years.”

“What a joke. They cancel the race, because the wind is shifty? My morning was ruined.”

“When the wind is shiftier than the Race committee( which it seldom can be ) then it's off to the bar for more snooty politics. My morning was okay , but last night my communities 'fire works' were cut short after one minute , because of wind. Less wind last night than any year in the last 22 years. It was also off to the bar for more snooty politics.”

“Okay... 'shiFty'

How big IS Lake Geneva anyway?”

“The lake is big ,but they aren't racing on it .They are in
Spain in the Mediterranean at Valencia where the winds are far steadier. ha!
last edited: 7/01/07 10:46:21 PM”

“I thought it was big.... but not big enough.  Did they ever catch who stole the lake in the Andes?”

“The Brazilians needed mixer for their ethanol parties.”

“Ha --- that much sugarcane would make a Hell of a lot of rum.  arrrrrrrr.”