Yet Another Americas Cup Boat Sinks!

[Warren Kaplan]

We've had this discussion before about all these high tech boats with space age materials just, well, breaking up! With all the computer models and everything, you have to wonder who is calculating the strength of materials and what they can and cannot take. The lead paragraph from the Sailnet article is below. You can read the whole story on www.sailnet.com. All those millions and this is what they get!

Dennis Connor’s AC Boat Sinks

SAN DIEGO, CA—According to reports on the Stars & Stripes web site, the teams newest AC boat, USA 77, sank during a training session yesterday. While participating in standard two boat testing, a large crack was heard and the rudder separated from the boat. The crew immediately deployed air bags and prepared on board pumps but the flow of water forced them to abandon the boat, which sank in approximately 55 feet of water.


Warren Kaplan
Sine Qua Non
CD27
Oyster Bay Harbor, New York







Setsail728@aol.com

[yves feder W1UX]

We've had this discussion before about all these high tech boats with space age materials just, well, breaking up! With all the computer models and everything, you have to wonder who is calculating the strength of materials and what they can and cannot take. The lead paragraph from the Sailnet article is below. You can read the whole story on www.sailnet.com. All those millions and this is what they get!

Dennis Connor’s AC Boat Sinks

SAN DIEGO, CA—According to reports on the Stars & Stripes web site, the teams newest AC boat, USA 77, sank during a training session yesterday. While participating in standard two boat testing, a large crack was heard and the rudder separated from the boat. The crew immediately deployed air bags and prepared on board pumps but the flow of water forced them to abandon the boat, which sank in approximately 55 feet of water.


Warren Kaplan
Sine Qua Non
CD27
Oyster Bay Harbor, New York

Warren!

Definitely not L. Francis or Carl Alberg designs, are they?!
You gotta wonder when you're out there, who in blazes designs those !@#$&%^!!! Hunters, Beneteaus, and other floating mobile homes!!! Cheez Man.... well glad no lives were lost or endangered.

Yves
S/V "Alphee" (18) CD27 #4 (1977)



saltwater@tinyradio.com

[John R.]

The price of learning!

We've had this discussion before about all these high tech boats with space age materials just, well, breaking up! With all the computer models and everything, you have to wonder who is calculating the strength of materials and what they can and cannot take. The lead paragraph from the Sailnet article is below. You can read the whole story on www.sailnet.com. All those millions and this is what they get!

Dennis Connor’s AC Boat Sinks

SAN DIEGO, CA—According to reports on the Stars & Stripes web site, the teams newest AC boat, USA 77, sank during a training session yesterday. While participating in standard two boat testing, a large crack was heard and the rudder separated from the boat. The crew immediately deployed air bags and prepared on board pumps but the flow of water forced them to abandon the boat, which sank in approximately 55 feet of water.


Warren Kaplan
Sine Qua Non
CD27
Oyster Bay Harbor, New York

[Andy Denmark]

Considering that Dennis has gotten rather "adiposely challenged" in recent years (that's PC for fat) maybe the weight of the skipper wasn't put into the computer when they were designing the boat.

trekker@coastalnet.com

[Larry DeMers]

Heh..or maybe it's the swollenhead syndrome.
What gets me is that they lost their rudder..so the boat sinks?? Jeesh, it must have taken out the whole bottom of the boat!
Now just how is this benefitting sailing in general again? I sure would not copy their move to minimize scantlings to the rediculous.

Seems that ever since Conners' infamous Catamaran entry, the A.C. has drifted further and further from what seems to be important in sailing. But that's just my rather cynical opinion about how big money has taken this area over rather fully.

I am happy to own a Cape Dory. I *know* it will not fail like that. (nor will it come even close to the speeds that Conners was getting!)

Cheers,

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
CD30

Considering that Dennis has gotten rather "adiposely challenged" in recent years (that's PC for fat) maybe the weight of the skipper wasn't put into the computer when they were designing the boat.

demers@sgi.com

[Dennis Connors]

It's probably not the design it's more likely in the fabrication or building process.

Simulation is great and 100% accurate at simulating what you model. What you physically build isn't always the same.

The strength of those composites comes from the lay of the fibers. And when they fail, they fail catastrophically.



wealthyfatsailor@yahoo.com

[Warren Kaplan]

Heh..or maybe it's the swollenhead syndrome.
What gets me is that they lost their rudder..so the boat sinks?? Jeesh, it must have taken out the whole bottom of the boat!
Now just how is this benefitting sailing in general again? I sure would not copy their move to minimize scantlings to the rediculous.

Seems that ever since Conners' infamous Catamaran entry, the A.C. has drifted further and further from what seems to be important in sailing. But that's just my rather cynical opinion about how big money has taken this area over rather fully.

I am happy to own a Cape Dory. I *know* it will not fail like that. (nor will it come even close to the speeds that Conners was getting!)

Cheers,

Larry DeMers
s/v DeLaMer
CD30

Larry,
Seems I just saw something about the general sailing public losing interest in the A.C. Maybe it was in the new Sailing Magazine. All the money. All the ads pasted all over what once were beautifully sleek racing hulls and crisp white sails have turned these boats into floating billboards. Alot of weekend racing and cruising sailors see high tech stuff that is so expensive that it has no relevance to their sailing. I realize that just like the space program, which was the incubator for alot of new technology that eventually found its way into the common man's everyday life, these high tech developments on cutting edge racing sailboats may spawn products that eventually become commonplace on the "lesser craft" of the everyday sailor. But while doing that, I think they are losing the interest of their audience, the sailing public.
Three years ago (or so) I was in Victoria, British Columbia. I saw a huge sailboat mast sticking up from behind a wharf building. I went behind the building and there was the J-Class Boat Endeavor in all her nautical splendor. I just sat down on a bench by her berth and my eyes and brain drank what was before me in for about and hour and a half. Not the same anymore.

Warren Kaplan
Sine Qua Non
CD27
Oyster Bay Harbor, New York



Setsail728@aol.com

[Jimmy Conners]

Tennis is a much safer sport fellas.



MonicaLew@cigar.com

[skinnypoorsailor]

It's probably not the design it's more likely in the fabrication or building process.

Simulation is great and 100% accurate at simulating what you model. What you physically build isn't always the same.

The strength of those composites comes from the lay of the fibers. And when they fail, they fail catastrophically.

Wealthy fat sailor, indeed:)
New York Yacht Club member too, I presume?

Snively Q. YarHar IV
Member CDSOA AND
proud of it!



saltwater@tinyradio.com

[John Nuttall]

....W76.....wooden construction...New England made....beautiful lines.....no advertising.......

W Class Racing.......sort of AC, the way it was....

;-]
John

[John Nuttall]

.....yup.....an 8 million dollar lesson.....

John ;-]

[John Nuttall]

...couldn't resist... ;-]

[Dave]

Seems to be a reacuring problem with these boat. Maybe they should realize the fastest boat is the one that can finish the race.

Dave

.....yup.....an 8 million dollar lesson.....

John ;-]

ddsailor25@ureach.com

[Warren Kaplan]

I think that diabolical and unkillable shark from "Jaws" is back. It took him a while to pass from the waters off the NE USA around the Horn, to San Diego. I think he did to Dennis Connor's AC boat exactly what he did to Quint the shark hunter's jalopy of a boat. He took the whole transom off the boat in one bite and Quint went in the first swallow. That's what happened I tell you! Connor's new found corpulance probably saved his life as no creature on land or in the sea could swallow that and survive!

Warren Kaplan
Sine Qua Non
CD27
Oyster Bay Harbor, NY



Setsail728@aol.com

[Dan Moore]

Not FAT.. Think ballast (albeit misplaced)!