America's Cup: Russell Coutts on AC45 Oracle capsizes spectacularly in San Francisco

Oracle Racing accidentally capsized one of their racing boats in San Francisco. Russell Coutts was helming the boat, an CA 45 . He was training for the next America's Cup with the Oracle Sailing Team. For the America's Cup, the boats will be AC 72, similar to the AC 45, but bigger

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[MarketScoop]

No prob putting a jibe in but can be tricky getting into the downwind safe zone in high winds (you need speed and weight right back.. I mean way back (crew behind helm). Jumping on the end of windward hull works ;o)

Re backstay, best to have minimal sail area showing once downwind (so B-2-B), the mainsail 'flip' in high winds can be equally interesting as the momentum swing can round you up into wind - not ideal as boat speed will not be fast enough and your weight not where needed to compensate

[captnrickfromcabo]

I'm sorry if my question sounds weird because I'm not a pro racer, but....is it right try make a jibe on any cat in the world at 25 knots of wind ? I mean I learned to sail on cats and then on monohulls, and one of the things I knew is that cats don't have backstay and because of that is not very safe to jibe in strong winds, am I wrong ?

[ride24hrs]

@braker41zulu copy, got it. thanks! beautiful cat! nice lines!

[pickupsailor]

this is not American's Cup. Is only busines and spectacle

[CommentAccountA]

could the shape of the fuselage be part of the problem?

[MarketScoop]

Looks like the skip thought about coming up into wind but there was a rib slap bang in the way. Interesting thing is he was going downwind in the run up to the prang. Why not bear away on the gust into the safe zone. Heading up into wind from going downwind - fine, but that main was fully powered up for an upwind leg. i.e. the traveller should have been let out as they were rounding up. If that's what they'd planned...also too slow dumping the gib.

High winds+downwind+choppy H20 = pitch-pole

[MegaCatalano]

fancy racing machines indeed! capsizing happened - as it usually does with small catamarans - because you can't jibe with a two-hulled sailing boat by making a small diameter round: then one of the hulls inevitably 'pierces' into water and its hydrodynamic resistance grows enormously in a particle of a second which causes loss of balance and stability... as Suki says, it's almost like hitting (into) something: dense medium, water, instead of air...

[braker41zulu]

@ride24hrs No, no design error. The skipper Russell Coutts admitted that he turned the cat leewards but should have turned it into the wind to reduce speed. Ship happens :-)

[kenyanbear]

amazing vessel that AC45!

[davidecori1980]

that's flying, not sailing !! :D

watch?v=PiCeqtGHpJI