Word: backwind
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...America's Cup race was over, and Jock Sturrock, helmsman of Australia's Dame Pattie, sat in Newport's Thames Street Armory answering reporters' questions. What, specifically, was the challenger's main problem? Sighed Sturrock: "The hull." Why hadn't Jock tried to backwind the U.S.'s Intrepid at the start? "On the performance of the two boats, I don't think it would have made very much difference." What was his overall impression of Pattie? "Theoretically, she was designed for winds of twelve to 14 knots, but I would say five...
...afternoon last week the wind kicked up to 15 knots-hardly a roaring nor'easter but plenty stiff for Eagle to show what she had. And that was not enough. Constellation boomed out ahead after the start, tucked Eagle neatly into her backwind, was 43 sec. ahead rounding the first mark, and wound up clobbering Eagle by 4 min. 29 sec. Less than two hours later, Commodore Henry Morgan, chairman of the New York Yacht Club Selection Committee, stepped aboard Connie at her moorings. "It is my very happy duty," he said, "to announce that Constellation has been selected...
...lessen drag in light air. In gusty, 15-knot breezes, she stood straight as a shark's fin; and she ghosted gently through pockets of virtual calm, finding momentum where none seemed possible. In all of the seven races, Skipper Cox outmaneuvered his rivals at the start, pouring backwind into their sails and slipping out in front. And when it came to tacking duels, he and his crew strutted some impressive stuff. In one contest, on the second day of the trials, Constellation tacked 17 times in 20 minutes. Eagle covered so efficiently that she gained an average...
...Rhode Island Sound, the four best twelve-meter yachts in the U.S. had at each other in a series of two-boat races that went on through light winds and lashing gales. In not one of the dozen races did the sailors concede anything-except a generous serving of backwind. The only thing officially at stake was pride, but for pride's sake, U.S. deepwater sailors put on a display of tenacity and tactics that had not been seen in a seadog...
Both Mosbacher and Shields are masters of the deceptively simple theory of match racing between near-equal boats, i.e., that the start, which is usually into the wind, is crucial. The boat that can leap out a bit ahead of its opponent can blanket or backwind the following yacht. Both skippers are also skilled at the sly tactics of dodging blanketing, stage such realistic faking of new tacks that their scurrying foredeck crews even prepare to take the gigantic genoa jibs to the lee side-the usual preparations for coming about...
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