America’s Cup World Series Part 2 Heads to Plymouth, UK
The flying machines that make up the new America’s Cup – The AC 45 (45’ lightweight cats with Hard Wing sails) – put on quite a show the past 10 days at the second event of the America’s Cup World Series in Plymouth, UK with multiple crashes in the strong breeze. Teams are ramping up the learning curve on these new powerful, high speed boats. The sailors are pushing the boats so hard during short races held on small, confined courses held in natural amphitheater venues, that NASCAR-style bumping and “trading paint” has become common, along with crashes and capsizing. In case of a crash, however, they’re getting the boats righted and resuming racing – something unheard of previously with wing sails and this size of boat.
The addition of onboard audio and video, multiple helicopters, cameras on the course and strategic land-based positions is bringing the action to the screen like never before and will continue to improve as we get closer to the America’s Cup debut at the San Francisco Bay in Summer 2013. View a compilation of crashes from the event, below, to get a feel for the action:
Kaenon Polarized sunglasses were prominently worn on most of the teams in competition as an essential piece of equipment, allowing for increased ability to read the breeze off the water and providing protection from ocean spray and impact.
Noteworthy Kaenon-wearing wins include:
-Terry Hutchinson, wearing Kore C12, and his team about Swedish entry Artemis won the first round of Fleet Racing.
-Tactician Ray Davies, wearing Hard Kore Titanium C12, aboard Emirates Team New Zealand won the Match Racing, disposing of surprise finalist Team Korea, driven and skippered by Kaenon’s Chris Draeper who was wearing Hard Kore JM10 C12.
-Wearing Klay Matte Black G12, Russell Coutts was the fastest on the water winning the Speed Trials.
-Russell Coutts, wearing Klay, was leading this race until the end, when teammates on Oracle Spithill passed them when tactician John Kostecki spotted more breeze on the right side of the course through his Hard Kore C28 polarized lenses to give Spithill/Kostecki the win. Wing Trimmer Dirk DeRidder was wearing Kore C12 and forward trimmer Joey Newton was wearing Klay Matte Black G12.
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