Bring Home America's Cup

[UNHWildCats]

BMW Oracle Racing from the Golden Gate Yacht Club took the first race against Alinghi yesterday winning by more then 15 minutes. A win tomorrow will return the Cup to America for the first time since Black Magic beat Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes in 1995.

[93henfan]

[dbackjon]

Very cool - where it belongs to be!

[Col Hogan]

Very cool - where it belongs to be!

If they're going to really bring it to where it belongs, they have to return the races to Newport, RI...

[WWII]

I wish it was still in 12 meter boats. Those giant cats don't look right to me.

[Col Hogan]

I wish it was still in 12 meter boats. Those giant cats don't look right to me.

[UNHWildCats]

BMW Oracle brings the cup home winning the second race by more than 5 minutes

[93henfan]

BMW Oracle brings the cup home winning the second race by more than 5 minutes

Hell yeah! Our billionaires are faster than their billionaires.

[UNHWildCats]

BMW Oracle brings the cup home winning the second race by more than 5 minutes

Hell yeah! Our billionaires are faster than their billionaires.

[AZGrizFan]

What in the world would possess them to hold this event at the same time as the Olympics? I remember back in the day when the whole WORLD would stop and watch these races. Now, they're one race from it being OVER and this is the first we've heard of it? Has it been marginalized that much?

[GannonFan]

What in the world would possess them to hold this event at the same time as the Olympics? I remember back in the day when the whole WORLD would stop and watch these races. Now, they're one race from it being OVER and this is the first we've heard of it? Has it been marginalized that much?

Yup - court challenges galore since the '80's have just killed the event. With that said, though, it's not as if these races are all that exciting to people who have limited to no sailing knowledge.

On a related note, a great movie about the America's Cup was "Wind", starring Jennifer Grey and Matthew Modine - great flick, great musical score, and a great way to watch the America's Cup!

[appmaj]

Glad its back in the US. When i was in New Zealand in 2001 they made such a big deal over this, and how they beat us. I really didn't know much about it at the time.

[YoUDeeMan]

As one who still races regularly, I can't get excited about the America's Cup these days. Cats, legal challenges, high tech advantages leading to winning instead of macthing each other's sailing skills, and a disconnect to the general sailing community has taken its toll.

Anyone who has raced sailboats knows that winning one design races (where every boat is basically the same) is the best feeling. Not that I don't enjoy winning handicapped races - the drinks flow freely after those races too (win or lose, come to think of it ), but sometimes you know you have an advantage with your boat in certain conditions that the handicap time simply won't correct.

37 miles per hour in an 8 knot wind? Fun, but only for billionaires.

Speaking of sailing, we start working on the boats next weekend! Woo-hoo!