Well it is my time of the month!

Are you kidding!!!!! Hell, have trained in average 30 and came back without swimming and I am sure I am far from the only one here. Some people enjoy sailing in a bit of breeze.

Now let’s see...... These things are designed for a limit of 33 knots. It was gusting 29, could have even been averaging in the teens. The Tornado class limit is 25 knots sustained and in those conditions, you could easily see gusts over 30 during the race.

We do not all need

I thought so!

As you all know, this a common beachcat issue and I have capsized mucho times doing this transition there are two methods I have learned as I have never been successful just turning the corner in the high wind range unless I get lucky and turn in a lull.

One way; going around the weather mark from close hauled to downwind the cat will momentarily go on a reach, if I do not twist the main & jib a bit the cat will go over sideways. And I must make it a moderate turn, if I make a sharp turn, it just drives the lee hull down the mine. During the maneuver the jib needs to be released (blipped) for a second at the reach point of sail (to prevent a reach pitchpole) then quickly hauled back into stall the main to prevent the downwind pitchpole, then release/trim for speed the jib to powerup once the transition is completed.
(CAUTION sailing stalled in winds under 25nt is SLOW)

Second way; if I know from reading the conditions and boat behavior on the upwind leg that it is really honking, and I want to survive the mark rounding, I will modify the above. A moderate turn, and at 90 to the wind, dump both main traveler and jib sheet momentarily, then once downwind quickly bring them back both in to prevent the ensuing downwind pitchpole. The wilder things are the harder the crew sheets in the jib stalling the main to prevent the downwind pitch pole.
(CAUTION sailing stalled in winds under 25nt is SLOW)

Third way; yours?

Have you ever seen a plane fly backwards? Or stalled?
Sailing stalled out (falling in an airplane) with managed projected area (twist or travel) is my key to reducing the excess of wind power. Every notice how slow it is when the crew over sheets the jib, he is STALLING / depowering the sails. Have you ever seen a plane fly backwards? Sailing stalled out with managed projected area is the my key to reducing the excess of wind pressure.

Catamaran mark rounding changed with the addition of spinnaker, turning around the weather mark quickly no longer became a priority in moderate winds. The priority became going hot around the mark, setting the chute, and protecting your wind, from the attacking boat behind. If you turn the mark to quickly, there is a good chance the boat behind will blanket/ pass you with a hotter/faster angle. However,pushing the envelope in the high wind range as the AC 45 did, does not make any sense to me, as you are already going very close to top speed, and already on the verge of losing it.

Observing recent x40 video the cat that went over was sailing hot around the mark had their traveler out and powered up, vs ETNZ behind had theirs only a couple feet out from center and going comparatively slow.

Perhaps just depower wing by twisting the top section independently?

These guys have proved like beachcats you can not just bear away around the mark like a keelboat, and need to read the conditions and sail accordingly, or figure out a way to stall the wing making the transition. Moderate conditions the bear away is no big deal and passing is possible, but at the top of the wind range / top speed, push the envelope to where?

Except there's no jib on a 18HT... Here goes the excuse!

Oracle white flips during the practice event.
Pics: http://chriscameron.photoshelter.co...acle-capsize-26-4-2011/G0000fu_LwjJ.eb8/

Great footage!

I agree! It's going to be a great series and I couldn't be more pleased that they will sail in some breeze!

It has to be sketchy dealing with a solid wing in winds like that. Mainly because I don't think anyone can be used to depowering them quickly. Of course I could be wrong... but think about it.
and another thing... does anyone think these boats could use a little more volume up front?

There's a video of Oracle standing one of these things up in breeze comparable to this... and it just trucked along.

In this scenario, Spithill said that they didn't have the boat "setup properly for the run". In the pics, you can see what appears to be the leward dagger all the way down which would generate a bit of lift going downwind

Sail-World has a nice article with pictures. Also I read somewhere that TNZ just hired Morrelli and Melvin to "...adress the volume in the bow issues..."

http://www.sail-world.com/NZ/Americas-Cup:-Oracle-Racings-James-Spithill-joins-the-Mile-High-Club/82857

My experience is if you do not stall the rig (as described above) before the puff downwind or making the transition you will pitchpole or capsize.
Letting the sails out or stalling the rig after the puff does not work in the higher wind range. And a crew member can call the puffs.
The wind speed at the tip is what 40nt?, and having the boards up would help:
however, the wing has 2x(+) more lift than a beachcat sail, so all the more importance to stall the wing.

It looked like they managed to right the boat without outside assistance. Am I wrong?

Yes you are
They used two RIBs, one to right it and one to keep it head to wind