Excellent race by team O yesterday --one small constructive criticsm. {see disclaimer} --When team O is ahead and has better speed why are they splitting so far to opposite sides of the course. Classic tactics while ahead after rounding the leeward mark is to sail upwind until your opponant is rounding then tack . This places your boat directly upwind from your opponant able to loosely cover in either direction .
The choise is made by the belief that while ahead you are in better wind pressure and towards the favored lift --BUT --gains made in match racing are all relative to the other boat --they need to settle for smaller potential gains and at least a loose cover on tean N . Instead we saw them split upwind yesterday --a potential mistake when they can not afford any . Lets hope they keep at least a loose cover when ahead .They are faster now --no reason not to.
{double check previous disclaimer ;] }
While in the lead, Oracle is getting to the preferred side of the course. The guy behind seems to just split for the sake of splitting even if it puts them in a statistically less favorable position.
-Ding, divert your eyes...I'm going to speculate and imagine I know what I know something for the sake of discussion
I am also surprised that the boat behind is so quick to split and gamble on the opposite side of the course when it's proven to be less of an advantage in either current and/or pressure. I guess if you have committed yourself to the belief that you can't sail faster/higher than your competitor it makes sense to split and roll the dice...but I'm not sure either team has a clear advantages even in the normal wind speed differences across the course on a single upwind leg. Maybe it's a throw back to the larger wind disturbances mono-hulls create. A cat (particularly an uber-efficiently winged one) isn't going to disturb as much air and slow you down unless you are right on top of each other.
As far as devices go, these guys have flip down tablets bunjied to their chests...I would love to see what they are seeing on those displays! I'm also in the process of making a spandex device sleeve like they have so I can quit losing GPS units.
