Originally Posted by waterbug_wpb
All right, time to throw down your predictions for today...

It's ENTZ's regatta/cup to lose right now with their big lead in points. I'd be willing to bet they were out yesterday perfecting their crew-work, while the engineers were pounding Red Bull and keyboards to figure out the next speed tweak.

The ENTZ afterguard showed they can play boat/boat tactics well, but can they keep OTUSA's potential upwind speed delta at bay? Have they a trick or two yet to play?

OTUSA showed huge speed potential, and better transitions. It's a long uphill slog to claw the points back to their side, but if anyone can do it the Jimmy/Benny/Slingsby afterguard can. If they could drop the mono-tactic mindset (really? Drop off a foil and pass astern is fast?) and continue to own starts it could get really interesting.

What will the tides be today? Will we have to listen to endless drivel about the "Cone behind Alcatraz"? Or will it revert to the "all hail the lee-bow"?

Above all I am very happy that nothing has broken on either boat. I'd hate the cup to go to anyone based on default because of equipment failure.


I don't know what's next (which is what is pretty cool about it). Oracle has a mountain to climb but could they come out with something else to help them increase their speed and agility further? The changes they've made since they started racing NZ are pretty dramatic but they are going to need to find a little more advantage to have a chance at keeping NZ from winning two more. Or, rather, does NZ go to the drawing board and come up with something to counter and end this thing now? I still think NZ takes it all at this point - it's theirs to lose...but Oracle is going to go down swinging.


Jake Kohl