THAT was close!
Not sure why NZ did the same move on the end of leg 4 to kill their momentum. Same result! Great racing by Team USA today...can't wait for tomorrow. Same times, 4:15PM ET race 16.
Wow. NZL got spanked x2 today. 8 points to 5 (but 8 race wins NZL vs 7 race wins USA). Is the penalty going to decide this Cup??
Dalton aboard Kiwi rig today? Since he's been off, they've been getting manhandled. Start & Kiwis have the edge . . . Wow - Not today, folks!
WOOHOO!!! Team USA lives to race another day. Too short of a turnaround for race #2 today (5:40PM ET too soon). Hopefully we'll have 2 races tomorrow to tie it up 8-8 for a Wednesday championship determining race. edit: may be a chance for another race today, but I think New Zealand has the opportunity to decline (USA says they're up for it). Hopefully not.
I am here at Oracle Open World and they broadcast the race on the big screens outside with commentary. Kai
Unbelievable. After 16 races, All even on the water... Disappointing they couldn't get race 2 off today.
This would have been a fantastic series if USA hadn't cheated in the 45s. Think of the shouting and whining if USA win two tomorrow and Kiwis win first race Wed. They get the cup but USA won 10 races before they won the required 9 points.
Still a fantastic series imo. I really hope it doesn't come down to a situation like that. Better have it as New Zealand wins tomorrow during the first race (9-8[6]) or USA takes it after 3 more (11[9]-8) to make the penalty have no effect on the result.
Still silly that they got docked races. That's like penalizing a baseball team because they had ineligible bats in their minor team... Kai
Agree. I'd hate to see this end up in court,... which it easily could if USA wins the first race tomorrow. Thinking aloud,... USA wins tomorrow. They have won 9 races. They protest the next race.... It could easily be a mess. I hope USA takes the high road (following sea? ) regardless of what happens next...
I wish they had taken the high road and not cheated. What a bonehead move. It's funny listening to how the commentators dance around it. The "infraction."
Agree. No doubt the team cheated,... But... it was nearly 2 years ago in completely different boats (45 foot cats... that were also one design,... thus packing illegal lead ballast before a race is a big deal). For reference current yachts are 72',... are custom designed within a set of design rules... very different animals. I completely agree with enforcing the rules,... just not sure how the ruling body goes from an infraction in a warm-up regatta 18 months ago on completely different boats to the penalty being enforced in another regatta. Was any benefit gained to Team Oracle in the current regatta by cheating in the relatively distance past? I honestly don't know what penalty is appropriate in this circumstance. I wouldn't want to win this way,... nor would I want to lose this way. All that said,... if USA had a problem with the penalty,... they should have appealed before the first race. They didn't (as far as I know...). So accept your punishment,... and settle it on the water. Like I said... I hope Team Oracle takes the "Following Seas" regardless of the outcome. Unfortunately,... this seems less and less common approach in recent times. One can hope.
20 minutes til the race. Race 1 wind limit is 24.7 knots and for Race 2 (if necessary) is 24.1 knots. Let's hope we can at least get 1 race in...supposedly gusts are forecast to 25 knots.
