Cup Experience Monday News | Bart’s Bash | Flight Control | About Those Bonus Points

By on September 19th, 2016

Cup Experience Monday News | Bart's Bash | Flight Control | About Those Bonus Points

Cup Experience News

Issue 34 | Monday 19 September 2016

In this issue:

  • Bart's Bash - Remembering Andrew Simpson (Videos)
  • (Flight) Control Systems
  • About Those Bonus Points
  • Ask Jack:? Why don't the grinders use their legs?
  • Bart's Bash - Andrew Simpson Honoured in Global Regatta

Andrew "Bart" Simpson was killed on 9 May 2013 in a training accident on San Francisco Bay when Artemis Racing's AC72 capsized and broke up. His friends, led by his Star boat Olympic Gold and Silver medal teammate, Iain Percy, set up the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation to encourage children and young people to sail. You can contribute here.

Thousands of people at hundreds of clubs around the world race in Bart's Bash. Artemis Racing, SoftBank Team Japan and Oracle Team USA raced their AC45x test boats in Bermuda.

Video Watch this interview of Andrew Simpson and Iain Percy at the 2013 UK Star Championships, sailed in a snowstorm. Click image to play.

Video Iain Percy tells about Andrew Simpson's personality and spirit. Click image.

Video Listen to Grant Simmer, Tom Slingsby and Andrew Campbell talk about Bart in Oracle Team USA's really wonderful video. Click image to play.

Contribute to the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation here.

  • Control Systems

​As important as daggerfoil shapes, the control systems on the AC Class race yachts will be key to winning the America's Cup in 2017. The class rule prohibits computer controls, but there is no limit on systems to give the sailors information to help them decide what setting to use. Think of it like putting a mark on your jib sheet and a mark on the deck: trim the sheet so the two marks line up to get back to the setting that gave the best speed when you tested. Here's a big difference: there is no limit on what the teams can do with their AC45x test boats. Remember the conspiracy theory in the Kiwi media during the 2013 Match in San Francisco? Supposedly Oracle had secretly installed a gyro controlled computerised flight control system from Boeing. While that was a crazy rumour, nothing prohibits them from installing an automatic flight control system on their AC45x test boat and recording how the system controls the boat's flight. Then they can use that information to develop their sailing playbook and readouts for the sailors to use in fully manual mode on the race boat.

Shirley Robertson interviews designers at Artemis and Oracle, including an AirBus flight control systems specialist. Click here or on the image to go to Shirley's interview.

  • About Those Bonus Points

​There are still lots of questions about the bonus points... The winner of the America's Cup World Series carries two bonus points into the round robin match racing "Qualifiers," which begin 26 May in Bermuda. The runner up gets one bonus point. With six teams (remember that defender Oracle Team USA races in the Qualifiers), in this double round robin, a perfect score would be 10 points. The winner of the Qualifiers will start the America's Cup Match with a one point lead. If Oracle wins the Qualifiers their opponent in the Match starts with a score of minus one (-1). If a challenger wins the Qualifiers and they make it through the "Challenger Playoffs to the Match, Oracle starts at minus one.


So, those bonus points could be very valuable. Remember, too, that the final AC World Series ranking will be used to break ties at the end of the Qualifiers. If two challengers are tied for fourth, the AC World Series results will determine which challenger is eliminated and which one goes on to the semi-finals of the challenger selection.

  • ​Series Leaderboard

Going into the final regatta in Fukuoka, Japan in November, Land Rover BAR has a comfortable lead to grab the two bonus points. Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New Zealand will be battling for the final bonus point. 

Join the Conversation on the Cup Experience Facebook Group.

  • Reader Questions to "Ask Jack"
  • from peter in florida
  • ask jack!
  • Hi Jack. Here's a question for you - Since leg muscles are stronger than arm muscles, why aren't the grinders pedalling, rather than arm grinding? I know that France tried it back in the 12M days and found that the legs couldn't accelerate as fast for quick trim when the pedestals were directly linked to the winches. however, in the hydraulic era, isn't it about continually grinding to keep the pressure up? In that case acceleration isn't an issue...but strength is.
  • Hi Peter, Good question. I don't know about France, but Pelle Petterson's 12m challenger for the 23rd America's Cup in 1977, Sverige, had foot-pedal coffee grinders. In the AC Class race yachts, the wing trim winch (traveller) will be mechanically driven, just like they were in the AC72's, so the need for acceleration is still there. The pedestals can be switched between mechanical linkage to the wing trim winch or hydraulic pumps to charge the accumulators and to adjust wing camber and twist and the rudder rake. And, the class rule specifies the layout with cockpits and pedestals. But you are right about leg power when acceleration is not an issue. Yann Guichard has installed a bicycle-style grinder on Spindrift for single-handed ocean racing. It takes a lot of grinding to tack or gybe that monster!

America's Cup Guide