P15-D24 Posted March 15, 2021 Report Share Posted March 15, 2021 The 2021 AC Regatta is going on right now. NZ is the defender while Italy is the challenger. (US didn't make it through the challenger round robin and almost sunk in one race when they got airborne and blew open a large hole in the hull upon landing.) Just more boring slow sailboat racing, right? NOT! This year they are using 75 foot long mono hulls on foils. They fly above the water. They weight in around 17,000 pounds and are reaching speeds in excess of 50 knots. (57 mph) in 15 knots of breeze. Three times faster than the actual breeze. Tonight may be the last night or it may go on for a could more days depending upon race results and is carried live on NBC Sports channel. Or check out Youtube 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sniper Posted March 15, 2021 Report Share Posted March 15, 2021 I used to follow them back when I was in San Diego. Not much sailing going on here in west Texas though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJ194950 Posted March 15, 2021 Report Share Posted March 15, 2021 Do you ( Texas and others) not have those sail powered races on sand - I think they were often 3 wheeled. Anymore? ? Seems that that would have been fun to do, except when you flipped over! ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plymouthcranbrook Posted March 16, 2021 Report Share Posted March 16, 2021 Like the Chicago to Mackinaw race on Lake Michigan every year. Had a coworker who did that several times. He loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sniper Posted March 16, 2021 Report Share Posted March 16, 2021 16 hours ago, DJ194950 said: Do you ( Texas and others) not have those sail powered races on sand - I think they were often 3 wheeled. Anymore? Never heard of those going on around here. Only place I can think of with that kind of sand is around Monahans and it's all piled up into dunes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plymouthy Adams Posted March 16, 2021 Report Share Posted March 16, 2021 not sure where all these are popular, wind and flat open lands to operate...but they have evolved into some pretty high tech and lighter weight buggies...they are referred to by many different names...personally I thought those would be a hoot to play with but never lived in an area where one would be practical to build and play with....maybe a bucket list adventure/thrill.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Hiebert Posted March 16, 2021 Report Share Posted March 16, 2021 They still did the sailing races on ice (three ice skis) on Lake St. Clair (the small lake between Lake Huron and Lake Erie, not "great" enough to be included with the other five) when we were in Michigan. A hoot to watch, especially when they where out during one of those "Alberta Clipper" wind events. I know a few folks up here in Maine that have the sailing skis, but there aren't organized races anymore, not in northern Maine, anyway. I have a friend in Carlsbad, NM that has one of those land sailing things. We'd take it out to the salt flats just west of the Guadalupe Mountains NP and rip around on it. Lots of fun, to the point of being a tad scary when the spring winds were up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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