America's Cup- AC72's in a big breeze - Am-Cam video from San Fran

by Sail-World on 2 Jun 2013
More Am-Cam from San Francisco, shot on May 30, 2013 local time shows Oracle Team USA, Luna Rossa (ITA) and Emirates Team NZ.

The videos seem to shot in winds that are quite gusty but in the 20kts range, judging by other boats sailing in the area.

Emirates is practicing first reach and gybing manoeuvres, going around a mark gybing before heading on on what would be Leg 2 of an America's Cup course.

Oracle Team USA, looks like she is trying the same thing initially with the same mark, but then heads off on a fast and stable run down the harbour, and repeats the straight run in another sequence.

Emirates Team New Zealand is also shown after gybing and then rounding up to go to windward.

The gybing and round up by Emirates Team NZ is impressive for its fluency and minimisation of speed loss during the gybe and round up. The final video - from May 28 - shows Luna Rossa do an opening reach, followed by a fast second reach and then an excellent gybe.

It is interesting to compare the gybing techniques between the Emirates Team NZ AC72 and Luna Rossa, looking at the smoothness of the gybe, then how they exit the gybe, and how long it takes them to get foiling and on the new course. (The changing of angle after the gybe is to get aligned with their apparent wind, and then chase this angle as they head onto the optimum course for the next mark.)