The Head Honcho of the Kiwi composites outfit that built Oracle was on NZTV this morning, claimed that 'they' had made several small development type changes during the early part of this series that had helped the boats handling, seemed to suggest that the prang that oracle had in pre series testing had put them behind in that development.
Dont claim to be a 'sailor' of any kind myself, but have watched from my 'armchair' & FWIW here are my observations.
Early in series NZ were able to sustain momentum in tacks especially upwind with boat not really settling back into water, while USA were having problem in that area. Later half of series it appeared the boats had swapped traits with NZ seeming slow out of tacks.
The 'so called' auto trim of the front foils on USA was clearly evident during the last few races with USA coming out of tacks when foiling and very stable, whereas the NZ boat would porpoise several times after each turn before it settled into a stable attitude ( I liken it to your first flight when learning to fly & trying to trim for level flight, but ending up with a series of porpoise actions, when on autopilot all thats done for you!). To me that situation must be magnified on these boats once up on the foils as the pitching moment from that huge wing is felt with every change in direction or puff of wind ( bit like trying to water ski on stilts I would imagine.
Couple of things have me wondering, on the starts won by USA in light winds the USA boat was able to 'Luff?' the NZ boat out towards the boundary rather than turn downwind at the first mark...yet when NZ were first cab off the rank & first to that first mark, could NZ have just carried straight ahead & in this case run over USA when USA attempted its left turn downwind?...love to see that practise in motorsport, off pole position & you gently escort your opposition out into the boondocks rather than stay on the pole line for the first corner!
