bit scary hey......

crew change ????

It is. I was watching some of the racing last Saturday night with a good buddy who is a professional photographer and set designer. It is all the chrome that throws off the white balance so the background looks muted and disconnected. We had a good laugh about how the whole thing was all fake...like the moon landing.

I KNEW IT!

There is NO WAY a Sailboat can go over 40 knots!

And I want to see Larry Ellison's Birth Certificate!!

Kiwis outclass Italians

If I remember correctly, Alinghi fought to have the 33rd AC in Dubai.

LV Finals Race 6 will be sailed Friday Aug. 23.
Start time of 13:10 PDT.

As I remember for a DOG match (AC33) it had to be sailed above a certain latitude and the middle east didn't qualify.

And I'll miss it, as I'll be on my way back to Dubai tomorrow, where it's only about 106 in the shade. If they do bring it to the UAE, I hope they plan on racing in February, not August!

Since they've managed to change just about every other rule R.E. the A/C over the past 30 years, I don't see this one holding up either. The Emiratii are not throwing Millions into this for fun, they want the Whole World to come to Dubai.

But bring your own beer, they won't sell you any except at the Airport Duty Free or for $10 a pop in a bar, and if you walk around drunk, they'll put you in jail, for months.

Ever been to a Turkish prison, Joey?

Here's Captain Timbo, hard at work:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i800jcY1Q7A

It wasn't that RAK was ineligible to host the cup - it is. Its in the Northern hemisphere.

Its just that the DoG match HAD to take place in February and in order to do that, according to the DoG, it HAD to be in the southern hemisphere.

Here you go, some UAE Rules for you Tourists:

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-arti...editorial/2012/july/editorial_july18.xml

From the full article:

Cross-dressing, public display of affection and wearing skimpy outfits are among behavioural violations not in consonance with local traditions and values. The Abu Dhabi police, through these ethics guidelines, has stayed clear of the grey areas and has made it easier for visitors to have a good time by spelling out what’s acceptable in the emirate and what is not.So risky behaviour is out and visitors are asked to shoulder some responsibility as Abu Dhabi draws more tourists from across the world to its cultural delights, history and sprawling beaches.

As you can see, cross dressing is out, so Ding, you'll have to stay home. And for the rest of you guys, do NOT hold hands with your wife, or kiss her in public.

Hadn't thought about that. Makes absolute sense. Front lit w/ a reflector. It's comical.

"to refrain from using drugs and other psychotropic substances as they run contrary to the law. Alcohol should be consumed only in designated areas and driving under the influence of alcohol is an offence, says the brochure."

pretty much excludes our Spring Fever type regatta's from taking place there.

Whadya mean? We only consume alcohol in a designated area... it's just a big area, Nigel's to the campground.

There was that and then there was that the event needed to be held "the sea or an arm of the sea". The debate was that the gulf didn't qualify as "an arm". There also is a seasonal (I think it's seasonal) requirement in the DoG and that's where the hemisphere thing came to light.

All this only matters if the challenger and the defender can't agree to the terms of the match. If they agree, they can run it pretty much any way they want (including having a multiple challenger series as has been done for several iterations).

Also don't forget that the country of New Zealand is also contributing financially to their team. I bet it would be hard for them to not have the event in New Zealand should they win this one.

I was thinking more of the psychotropic abuse and the indecent behavior