Inside Larry Ellison’s Insane Plan to Turn America’s Cup Into a TV Spectacle • Hacker News Board

Re: Inside Larry Ellison’s Insane Plan to Turn America’s Cup Into a TV Spectacle

#21

Post by lancewiggs » Sun, Aug 26, 2012, 12:51 PM UTC

bartonfink wrote: post #6

lancewiggs wrote: post #4

The sailing in the Olympics used much of the technology mentioned, including painting virtual lines on the water. The article feels overwrought, but the racing will be amazing. The new big Team NZ yacht is just near me here in Auckland, and feels like a tethered wild beast ready to be unleashed. Watch out for the rise of fixed wing sails, possibly transforming the yachting industry.

Somewhat off topic, but do you mind if I drop a line to ask about the tech scene in Auckland? My wife and I are planning to emigrate to Auckland from the U.S. in the next few years and I'd love to hear your thoughts on the scene, whether a Yank like myself would be able to find a job, etc.

Sure thing. Email, blog, twitter all the same.

Re: Inside Larry Ellison’s Insane Plan to Turn America’s Cup Into a TV Spectacle

#22

Post by cfn » Sun, Aug 26, 2012, 6:55 PM UTC

nirvana wrote: post #11

This is great news, as sailing is a wonderful sport, and the TV coverage of it in the past has often been hard to find, quite inconsistent and very poorly done. I don't know why WIRED is increasingly becoming such a snotty, hostile and tabloid publication. I guess it's cool to hate on Ellison for putting money into a wonderful sport. While we can't afford these huge multi-million dollar boats, we can have much of the…

I would add that you can have a lot of fun on a Laser that goes for £5,000 new and anything down to £500 used. I am very happy with ACs coverage both TV and web and it is the first thing ever to bring this sport to the forefront.

Re: Inside Larry Ellison’s Insane Plan to Turn America’s Cup Into a TV Spectacle

#23

Post by cfn » Sun, Aug 26, 2012, 7:30 PM UTC

Someone wrote: post #18

lancewiggs wrote: post #4

The sailing in the Olympics used much of the technology mentioned, including painting virtual lines on the water. The article feels overwrought, but the racing will be amazing. The new big Team NZ yacht is just near me here in Auckland, and feels like a tethered wild beast ready to be unleashed. Watch out for the rise of fixed wing sails, possibly transforming the yachting industry.

I think the racing in the Olympics also showed the limitations of this technology. Many times, the boats are what, on television, looks like miles apart, as some of them think they will get better winds by tacking now, and others think it is better to wait a few minutes before doing so. Between such groups 'meters to the finish line' is a bad approximation to 'seconds to the finish line'. Even with this technology, t…

Distance to finish is a poor estimator because the wind will be different in strength and direction in different places of the course. We use to have three marks in the Olympics but at some point it was reduced to two. I don't know why but I guess that the idea was to simplify the course for the sake of the spectators.

Not for the first time I heard spectators of the Olympics say that sailing is a very confusing sport and I hope that what is being done in the America's Cup and continued in London 2012 will help. On the other hand, I as a sailor, would like to see certain aspects of the race which are not spectator friendly at all.

Re: Inside Larry Ellison’s Insane Plan to Turn America’s Cup Into a TV Spectacle

#24

Post by sirribbett » Sun, Aug 26, 2012, 8:26 PM UTC

I just found out that the monohulls are gone... I doubt I will watch any of the next America's Cup races.... The catamarans never will have the class and beauty of the real sailboats! Just like in skiing..... I'd rather watch a downhill than a half-pipe! The America's Cup is about sailing.... Bring back the sailboats... Please!