Intense AC Footage

[Peter]

Here is a short video of Luna Rosa 72 foot long AC catamaran foiling through a jybe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_moyNuRqOE

Maintaining full foiling throughout the gybe is a brand new skill only done for the first time ever just a few months ago...but it will be crucial to the competition. Heck, they only just recently started foiling at all, now they have to learn how to keep the big cats up on the foils through the gybe.

Note at about 34 to 37 seconds into the video.... just when the starboard foil clears the water indicating they are on the new gybe, how the whole boat suddenly heels and the port bow dips. This is the wing "turning on" on the new tack quite suddenly and it darn near takes the whole boat pitch-pole over the port bow. The helmsman saves it by instantly steering to port to put the boat back under the rig, like balancing a broom stick on your hand.... Pretty darn close to a full-on disaster!

When these things go over it isn't like a Hobie cat or a Sunfish. People get seriously hurt. You are going close to 50 MPH across the water and you are about 40 feet up off the surface when you part ways with the windward hull. And you do not just fall off, you are flung off violently. Plenty of busted up sharp carbon fiber and drum taught spectra lines probably await your water-landing after such a spectacular dismount.

Who said sailing was boring?

Peter

[1962 31]

wow I grew up on a sail boat and really can appreciate that wow

[mike ohlstein]

Sailboat





I don't know what that other thing is.

[JohnV8r]

Here's my intense video of me screaming "Holy Sh*t!" when the British AC boat buzzes Shambala's transom (was maybe 12' away at its closest point). This is one of my most memorable moments on Shambala as I never in a million years thought I would have an AC competitor buzz that close to my transom. It was waaaay cool!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYQ2KV13bvc