I will have newfound interest in watching The America's Cup, even though the technology is worlds different. Thanks for the heads up on the "Christmas Cup."

sail handling (via US Brig Niagara) - the difference in handling and flexibility between the America's cup ships and a brig is mind blowing...

Or do I need my eyes checked?

In the first photo, the red and white wing in the center of the photo is a hydrofoil raised up out of the water as it flies on the one on the other side and the one at back of the boat.

Part of me wants to dislike these, but they are quite the feat of innovation.

America's Cup boats to enter the Race To Alaska.So far, Larry Ellison had ignored the invitation despite being offered a set of steak knives for simply finishing the race.

• Click here for link at https://www.thenewstribune.com/outdoors/article35819500.html

• Click here for link at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPGUFxyirzg

…it's not far down to paradise, at least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find tranquility
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.
It's not far to never-never land, no reason to pretend
And if the wind is right you can find the joy of innocence again
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.
Sailing takes me away to where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free
Fantasy, it gets the best of me
When I'm sailing
All caught up in the reverie, every word is a symphony
Won't you believe me?
Sailing takes me away to where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free
Well it's not far back to sanity, at least it's not for me
And if the wind is right you can sail away and find serenity
Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see.
Believe me.
Sailing takes me away to where I've always heard it could be
Just a dream and the wind to carry me
And soon I will be free

Those things haul ass. I would crash it in less then 1 minute.

We've come a long way. I mentioned here before my trip to Newport, RI in the fall of 1983 to see Australia II. It was after the America's Cup and you could have a look at the hull with the infamous 'winged keel.'

Seems quaint now.

My wedding/honeymoon luckily coincided with the races in the SF bay 8 years ago. Totally unplanned for, but it was a fun backdrop for the couple days we spent farting around in SF. We actually went on an Alcatraz/Bay boat tour while one of the races was taking place which was just awesome.

I'd really like to see one of the future champions change the rules in the future to run the races with full on old school clipper ships.

I'd also love to see an all AI/Drone race version. Mostly just to see how far we could push technology that would hopefully be able to replace some of the world's container ships

4-knot shit box.

Looking forward to the races!

single occupant only, that look trailer-able and fast as lighting. Thinking about snagging one for next year.

Those boats below are insane, saw some video and they just go.

configuration (mono, multi, length) matter at all? Given that it's not in the water when the boat is at speed, there's no displacement hull speed to worry about. The booms holding the hydrofoils to port and starboard change the stability question from one of a keel or multi-hull spacing to ... what? ... the length of a structural beam?

They are certainly incredible looking machines and, as an engineer, it's good to see technology moving forward. That said, as someone who has a teaspoon full (well, maybe a half-teaspoon) of sailing experience, is technology supplanting skill to an extent that it stops being a sport and becomes a design contest?

And then there's the question that those incredible pictures force upon me: what is holding them up? It looks like there should be at least one more hydrofoil at the bow!

The boat that wins will spend the least amount of time in the water. These things end up being more platforms than boats. The differing hull shapes here are interesting and probably represent each team's best thinking about how that platform should best handle both the air and the water. For instance, the Kiwi boat almost has air channels on the bottom of the hull.

The America's Cup has always been a design contest. The reason why America (the boat) won the race around the Isle of Wright and won the cup the first time around is because it was a new, radical design. Every cycle (for the most part) involves substantial innovation. Pretty soon you are literally flying around in boats.

I kind of compare the constant pushing of design to this:

If I had to reframe Barney's question, I think it would be "what is a boat?" Obviously the guy who builds the better boat will win a boat race. That doesn't detract from the need for seamanship. But there is such a thing as "a boat" and there is such a thing as "not a boat."

I think the sense that some people have looking at these is that they are getting close to being "not a boat."

a design contest. These boats push the design envelope where it has never been before. There have been foiling Moths for a long time, but they are small single handed dinghies. These are large boats with new foiling technology. Even back in the day of the 12 Meter boats there was very competitive design work going on that separated the boat speed of the contestants, all done in much secrecy. There is also a strong sailing skill component to these new boats. It takes a ton of sailing skill plus some new skills to just get them around the course. The world's best sailors are still sailing them.

I know it's total cheese, but I've always loved Wind. And it gets to your point. Design has been a huge part of this for a long time.

As a rule, a monohull boat will turn faster than a multi-hull boat. This is because the monohull is pivoting a single hull through the water while a multi-hull boat, say a catamaran, is turning extra hulls around a pivot point. Harder to get the nose around.

I say this as an old Laser and Hobie Cat sailor. The technology is so far beyond me now that I don't know if those rules apply. I would assume that they must in some fashion since the boats drop speed to make hard tack and the hulls drop back in the water, correct?

This is in very light air, which makes what these boats are doing very impressive. The video comes complete with cheesy music, so feel free to mute your speakers.

And training that goes into it.

But the technology is amazing.

We'll see if my kids continue to show interest in sailing, although I may probably have to work until I'm 90 if they do.

I cant wait to see that technology in action.
Any idea how the speeds compare to the multihulls?

The multihulls never breached the 50 knot barrier (very close, though). The unofficial reports are that these boats have exceeded 50 knots, and some teams expect to be well over that mark.

the speed goes up. The boat is flying through the water on a submerged wing.

Amazing technology. Simply amazing.

I imagine these boats are substantially lighter and there have been advances in foiling design and understanding over the past several years.