Quote:
Originally Posted by Skybird
I know nothign about sailign, and never was into it, but the past days I occasionally watched TV coverage of the races between these two catamarans, and watched with growing fascination the different race track patterns both boats were circling into the water in search for the better wind. Also I like the boats.
I also know nothign about these boats, do not even know the name of their class, assuming they are not just "catamarans". And I am wondering. That the crew all the time change the side, probably is due to weight, but the sailors who are constantly turning those cranks like crazy - what exactly are they doing there? Do they drive a hidden propeller?  I have no clue what they are doing, since they are turnign the cranks all the time, always.
Whats it all about? Are they bored or try to keep warm? |
Those are cranks to run a hydraulic pump to power the actuators to move the sails, boards, etc. These boats are doing 50 mph under wind power alone. The NZ team got 'smart' and made the cranks into stationary bikes.
Anybody have a place to stream these matches!?! I got used to watching them live on YouTube last time, and this time they're not even replaying them! All I can find are the press conferences. And without seeing the actual match, press conferences are friggin boring.
It's just another cash grab by the Oracle guys. Bermuda paid them enough (or more accurately, gave them the island for free) to come there instead of defend the cup in their home port. The SF races were the most watched and attended ever! And they move it to a remote island??? And now one of the things that is made the last cup so popular was the ease of access to the races, and now you can't even watch them unless you have NBCSN!.
EDIT: Dammit, and another cash grab. Its not available to stream in most of the countries that are participating. I understand not streaming it live, for the ad revenue. But at least stream the replays dahmkit!