Big, Fast Cats and Safety Measures

Emirates Team New Zealand boss Grant Dalton admits that “it doesn’t necessarily make you fast,” but he also reports that his team members are “working like hell” and doing it seven days a week with their first boat in the water for test sailing (so far, 20 knots in 8 knots true, the man says).

In an interview with New Zealand’s Radio Live, Dalton also predicts that in the AC72 design rule, “There’s enough scope that somebody will be quite a bit quicker” while describing the safety measures that his team is taking. Those safety measures include a medic in the chase boat, plus a diver suited up and ready to go to the rescue of the crew in event of a capsize. Aboard the boat, each crewmember carries a small breathing apparatus and has a knife close by.

IT GETS BETTER, NOT

I doubt there is a sailor out there who hasn’t read, or heard, reporting about our sport that drew a shudder and a groan. Well, here’s one to make you laugh. The video runs 3:28, and you really need to ride this puppy all the way to the end. First it was in one place, but as of Tuesday that link leads to:

Sorry, “Some boats in a race” was deleted at 11:36:43 Tue Aug 7, 2012.
Vimeo has removed or disabled access to the following material as a result of a third-party notification by International Olympic Committee claiming that this material is infringing.

Then some boats in a race popped up elsewhere. Keep up the good work, guys—Kimball

Suns New Jerseys