Americas Cup: Do you believe in miracles?

[JA]

Congratulations are in order for Team Oracle USA in their victory over a gutsy New Zealand team following the greatest comeback in sports history!  I had posted earlier this week when they were down 3-8 about my feelings for this team.  Jimmy Spithill and the crew of Oracle did the unthinkable....coming back from an 8-1 deficit.  My heart goes out to Team Emirates and the nation of New Zealand in their loss to Oracle.  They showed nothing but class and great sportsmanship in this competition. For NBC Sports, great job in the coverage of the Americas Cup....the upside of this event is lots of great exposure to the sport of sailing. Can't wait for the Americas Cup challenge! 

[baileyrace]

1

[Bee]

Front page of SA has some comments about what Oracle did to the foils to gain a speed advantage.  Rumor is that the KIWI's are going to file a law suit over it. 

Irrespective of who won the America's Cup seems to have rapidly become the Lawyer's Cup.

[JA]

Bee as I understand just about every day that Oracle came out on the course to race they had a new measurement certificate, which means of course that the boat had been modified in some way.  I would think that Russell Coutts, especially after getting a two point penalty going into the finals for his crew carrying an extra 5 pounds on the AC45's, that he would know what he could do to the boat and what he couldn't do.  With that being said the Americas Cup has always been about change and technology and getting the advantage over your opponent.  I did read that the struts had been modified and the weight to the wing had been lowered to get the least amount of weight in the upper third of the wing. I would think that it would change the balance of the boat dramatically.  If this is the case and it is allowed during the competition, then it comes down to Oracles technology being better that the Kiwis and Oracle with the bigger budget.  Bring on the lawyers!

[Bee]

I understand that and I knew all that.  Didn't really have a point to what I wrote just observed what was on SA.

As long as they had a cert they should be OK.  If the KIWI's do file a law suit it would definitely seem to be sour grapes.