Nearly forgot: the 33rd America’s Cup starts tonight in Valencia and will be decided by next weekend. No New Zealand boats are competing due to the change in race format, but there are at least half a dozen kiwis competing across both the US and Swiss crews. Might well be a yawnfest, but have a read of Alinghi’s tech specs:
Its canting mast is the equivalent height of a 17-storey building and withstands compression comparable to 50 SUVs balanced on a foundation the size of a tennis ball.
Not to be outdone, BMW Oracle’s trimaran has an optional wing sail that is more than twice the area of a Boeing 747’s wing, the largest of its type ever fitted to a racing yacht.
