Americas cup

[nzoomed]

Didnt even realise it was happening with such little media coverage, just thought it was a regatta, but hey we won so thats all that matters i guess!
Dont know if it was just me, or was this covered very well on the TV?

[zqwerty]

There were reminders on other channels and of course you really have to look at the list of channels and programs to see when the races were on.

I would say under advertized but not overly so since it's all so distant being so far away in Spain and not really related to NZ except in name.

[king1]

interesting to see the PM jumping on the opportunity to discuss funding the next one in Auckland - given the $100 million labour were prepared to stump up wasn't enough, this is a lot of money National will have to find/prioritize.

A slight irony they couldn't prioritise money for the cook strait ferries, yet the America's cup funding seems to be in the bag already

[Oh_hunnihunni]

I don't pay much attention to it these days, offshore and out of mind. And that silly business down south with the idiot whatsisname threatening to never come back over the dolphins made me cross. But I like it when we win, and when it is local.

But it is such a different sport these days, so tech, so beyond the pure sailing days, I can't really see it as the kind of sailing I grew up around. I'm sure these guys could manage something like the old Spirit of Adventure, but they might find it a bit pedestrian, whereas sailing on her was a highlight of my youth. Even the terror of going up and over. Those were the days, lol...

[zqwerty]

Greedy businessmen, Luxon knows all of them will love it if the races are based around Auckland so they can all set up scams to grab money from the tourists and people who flock there to see the races.

Not as many as in Barcelona because plenty of overseas people won't come to Auckland and may be some of the competitors will call it a day and not come.

Plus the problem of overseas tv not showing the races live but delayed to the rest of the world could be a problem.

But local businessmen will love getting extra profits from all the stalls/bars/eating places etc.

[Zurdo]

It was all over my Youtube and FB as I subscribed last time. I only watched a couple of races...MotoGP was at Phillip Island this weekend and I'll watch motorcycle racing over yacht racing any day.

High tech for sure, but it'll trickle down....

[Oh_hunnihunni]

It already has. Mid winter on a glorious but freezing Auckland day I scooted home via the beaches, and watched a foil kite boarder dance with wind and wave. It was incredible watching that frail human body just play with the tempest that combo made.

Made me grateful I am way too old and too crippled to even be jealous of that physical magic. Boy, it was fantastic to watch though. Cirque du soleil eat ya heart out.

[Zurdo]

Yeah, last year at the lake I was watching a couple of guys testing some electric pedal foilers..like, all that in one toy.

[nzoomed]

Yeah, last year at the lake I was watching a couple of guys testing some electric pedal foilers..like, all that in one toy.

To me it's gone beyond yachting, so much technology in these things including but not limited to hydraulics and computers, etc.

I miss all the action with the crew actually changing tacs, deploying the spinnaker etc.
Sure they were slower, but there was far more skill, not to mention action and room for error and things to go wrong, not that it doesn't happen with these foiling yachts, but it's not the same.

[Lilith7]

Yeah, last year at the lake I was watching a couple of guys testing some electric pedal foilers..like, all that in one toy.

To me it's gone beyond yachting, so much technology in these things including but not limited to hydraulics and computers, etc.

I miss all the action with the crew actually changing tacs, deploying the spinnaker etc.
Sure they were slower, but there was far more skill, not to mention action and room for error and things to go wrong, not that it doesn't happen with these foiling yachts, but it's not the same.

Then perhaps they need a second America's cup or something similar; one for just old style yachts & one for the modern ones with all the technology; probably won't happen though.

[Zurdo]

Restrictions in any form of racing creates a cheating sector...some of which are very creative, and then sometimes actually included in the regs. There has to be a high end in any sport, and yes it gets expensive and boring to some...but old school racing is always there for those who want it. Trouble is, money moves into those classes too.

[nzoomed]

To me it's gone beyond yachting, so much technology in these things including but not limited to hydraulics and computers, etc.

I miss all the action with the crew actually changing tacs, deploying the spinnaker etc.
Sure they were slower, but there was far more skill, not to mention action and room for error and things to go wrong, not that it doesn't happen with these foiling yachts, but it's not the same.

Then perhaps they need a second America's cup or something similar; one for just old style yachts & one for the modern ones with all the technology; probably won't happen though.

Yeah, there could be 2 different classes or something along with a second trophy perhaps?

[harm_less]

Then perhaps they need a second America's cup or something similar; one for just old style yachts & one for the modern ones with all the technology; probably won't happen though.

Yeah, there could be 2 different classes or something along with a second trophy perhaps?

This interview from Radio NZ this afternoon sheds interesting insight into the way yachting has headed over recent years.

Also so far as adding a secondary race to the America's Cup event seems to me like suggesting that racing domestic passenger cars are added as part of Formula 1 competitions. The whole America's Cup and Formula 1 event makeups are akin to travelling circuses which bear little relationship to real life activities but present a form of entertainment to those that are interested in the pinnacle of those respective sports. There is no shortage of car racing classes, or yacht racing events, to cater for most tastes which of course will change over time as technological advances alter the respective mainstream vehicles in both cases.

Also in relation to the RNZ interview I was prompted to think about changing preferences in terms of the levels of stimulation that is preferred. Over time a beer or two moved onto a shared joint and then onto more mind altering drugs (cocaine, meth) with higher stimulation effects. I've witnessed the preference towards narcotics with clearer, faster, quicker acting effects over the past decades and a similar progression from hands on sports (and music compositions) towards a more synthetic version of such things seems to have taken place. In respect of sporting technologies, narcotics and music it also seems to have often resulted in an abbreviated effect, and shelf life in the case of music, which is an interesting progression in itself. Increased disposability in all cases?