America's Cup 2013 - Official Thread

Sport
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One of the world’s great sporting events is upon us again. The Golden Gate Yacht Club and Oracle Team USA will defend its title against one of the challengers from Sweden, New Zealand and Italy, who race off to decide the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup. The natural amphitheatre of San Francisco Bay provides the backdrop to the action from now until September, making this a true event of the people. Annalise Murphy’s fourth place in the Olympics and the Volvo Ocean Race’s stops in Galway have meant interest in sailing has boomed in Ireland recently and massive TV ratings are expected.

What makes this America’s Cup so special is the involvement of sailing great Sir Ben Ainslie in the Oracle syndicate. He’ll be hoping to help win the Cup for his great friend Andrew Simpson, who tragically died in May while sailing with the Swedish challengers Artemis, who will also be hoping to win the Cup in tribute to Simpson.

Sir Ben has been in great form recently, winning the JP Morgan Asset Management Round The Island race in a record time and it’s always foolish to back against him.

http://www.westbriton.co.uk/Ainslie-confident-America-s-Cup-success-record/story-19171332-detail/story.html

Emirates Team New Zealand will be hoping to win the Cup as a tribute to double-Cup-winning skipper, Sir Peter Blake, who was murdered by pirates in 2000, while Italy’s Luna Rossa will be hoping to win the Cup in tribute to the original Italian sailing legend, Christopher Columbus.

An incredible rollercoaster ride of sailing emotion awaits.

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Oh fuck not more of this shit :confused:

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You’re trying too hard Sid.

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Could one of the mods lock this thread, please?

I’ve badly misjudged interest in this one, and, to be honest, I don’t actually give a shit myself.

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It’s a massive pile of shite. I had the misfortune of being in Auckland in 2000 when this caper was going on. Fair play to Sidney for requesting that this drivel is expunged from TFK.

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After spending the latter part of 2002 and January 2003 following the England cricketers on their Ashes tour of Australia, I made the short hop across the Tasman Sea to Auckland in February 2003 for Team New Zealand’s defence of the Americas Cup against Alinghi. It would make any shortlist of the greatest sporting occasions I have attended. The whole of New Zealand was in an absolute frenzy as the winning Team New Zealand captain from 2000, Russell Coutts (and most of the crew) had defected to the sailing powerhouse of Switzerland and their standard bearers Alinghi. Alinghi won out the Louis Vuitton Challenger series to set up the big grudge match for the Americas Cup. Ultimately, the young Team New Zealand captain Dean Barker was no match for the old master Coutts and Alinghi recorded a 5-0 whitewash series win (a fate the England cricket avoided at the SCG thanks to the heroics of Andy Caddick).

Back to the business at hand, Team New Zealand again skippered by Dean Barker have walloped Italy’s Luna Rossa in the Louis Vuitton Cup finals to set up an America’s Cup showdown with the holders Oracle in San Francisco. Barker now has the chance to make it third time lucky after the defeats in Auckland in 2003 and Valencia in 2007. I just wonder at this stage though is Barker one of life’s unlucky generals?

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Incredible scenes:

Team New Zealand has suffered huge heartbreak as their quest to nail the America’s Cup was spoiled by light winds and a dogged US Oracle team.

The 13th race in San Francisco Bay on Friday afternoon US time (Saturday morning AEST) proved to be incredibly unlucky for the Kiwis.

They had the race and the Cup as good as won as they enjoyed a 1200m lead in the first race but couldn’t reach the finish line within the 40-minute time limit as officials abandoned racing with the Kiwis approaching the last mark.

Then, in the restarted race, they made two mistakes which allowed Oracle to stretch out to a 1min 24s victory.

That keeps New Zealand still looking for the one elusive win while Oracle now needs six successive victories to hold on to the Auld Mug.

“We were staring down the barrel of defeat there and time saved us,” Oracle tactician Ben Ainslie said of having the first attempt at the race called off.

It was a gutting moment for Team New Zealand.

Just when it seemed nothing else could happen in this dramatic final, another twist was delivered and it sadly came at the expense of Team New Zealand.

They have had two races abandoned while they were leading because of high winds.

But the weather gods conspired against them from the other end of the spectrum today to deny them again.

The predicted brisk breeze never eventuated and the top of the course was shrouded in fog.

Just to get around the top mark took over three minutes as Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill played a luffing game with NZ skipper Dean Barker.

When Team New Zealand slipped them downwind and headed away it looked like being the glory race.

But time kept ticking away on them. They were racing the clock more than Oracle who were so far behind it was ridiculous.

Yet it all amounted to nothing.

And despite getting away brilliantly in the restart half an hour later, some errors came into play for Team New Zealand.

They copped a penalty as they jibed in front of Oracle and then gone into trouble trying to round the bottom mark.

Oracle jibed in front of them, forcing the Kiwis to change their minds over which buoy to round and they stalled, losing big ground.

Heading upwind, they also failed to cover Oracle in one tacking duel and Spithill streaked away.

There was no coming back.

And there was no time to start race 14 - that will have to wait until Saturday.

Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/sport/low-winds-rob-team-nz-of-americas-cup-victory-20130921-2u5x3.html#ixzz2fYaeNzYT

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This is sensational stuff now. Oracle have cut the gap to 6-8. Squeaky bum time for Team New Zealand.

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What continent is Oracle on?

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Didn’t realise this was on until I heard them on about it on 5 live this morning.

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Superb fighting spirit from Oracle and Sir Ben Ainslie has given a tactical masterclass over the last six races. The pressure is now firmly on Dean Barker.

Is he to once again be an unlucky general?

After witnessing Mayo agonisingly lose another All-Ireland on Sunday, it would almost be too much for me if the sentimental favourite Barker were to be denied yet again.

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Oracle win again! 6 on the bounce and Oracle and Sir Ben have cut the deficit to 7-8.

A disastrous start, earning two penalties, cost Emirates Team New Zealand yet another race in the America’s Cup this morning.

As the two giant AC72s tangled in the start box in Race 17, colliding softly, ETNZ skipper Dean Barker had a good position but was found to have fouled Oracle Team USA when it was to leeward - and then copped another penalty for not clearing the way quick enough.

That was the race, right there. The winds had been over 24 knots but dropped down to 18 knots at race time.

Tragically, Team NZ seemed to have moded their boat well for the conditions but there was never a chance to see the two jousting at close quarters after that start. Team NZ lost 17s round the first mark, that lengthened to 29s after the first downwind leg after OTUSA put on its trademark slight margin on the run.

Team NZ clawed back 10s upwind but lost the race by 27s - but it was all gone at the start.

“It was a shocker,” Dean Barker said after the race. “We were trying to make a bit of a play and mix it up a bit but just got ourselves in a really bad spot…just a bad option.”

Barker also said that the Kiwis would not play their postponement card for Race 18 - which looks like it may get under way after looking under threat earlier in the day.

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Just after watching the latest race there. Oracle have levelled it up at 8-8 and its down to the last race.

Haven’t the first clue about sailing but even to my untutored eye Dean Barker made a balls of that after a flyer of a start.

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What’s Ben Ainslee’s role? He came across as a real cunt at the Olympics when he was losing, saying the opposition had “made him angry now” when they called a penalty on him. In fairness he backed it up by blitzing them for the rest of the week to win his 4th straight gold. A cunt but a winner.

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Unbelieveable drama awaits tonight. 9:15pm. Sky Sports something. Be there.

United Statesian hopes rest on Australian Jimmy Spithill, New Zealander Russell Coutts and Great Britain’s Sir Ben Ainslie.

New Zealand’s hopes rest on New Zealander Dean Barker, the Jimmy White, the Mayo, of the America’s Cup.

Unbelieveable drama, unbelieveable sport.

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I’m on tenderhooks waiting for the big off.

This is the first final leg decider since Alan Bond skippered the Royal Perth Yacht Club to victory over the Dennis Connor skippered New York Yacht Club at Newport, Rhode Island in 1983, ending the 113 year reign of the New York Yacht Club.

Sport doesn’t come any bigger than this. Win or lose, this will warrant a la saor in New Zealand and across the US. The words of Australian Prime Minister, Bob Hawke in the immediate aftermath of that ground breaking win in 1983 spring to mind - 'Any boss who sacks anyone for not turning up today is a bum. "

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T minus 1 minute.

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Cat and mouse stuff so far.

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High drama already. Oracle getting a very bad wave.

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Come on Dean Barker.