August 18, 2013

In July we wrote about the America's Cup Park on Piers 27/29. This weekend we checked out the scene at the America's Cup Village, at Crissy Field, and at the yacht club parking lot in between.

This group of photographers lined the seawall at GGYC. Perhaps a camera club? ©2013 norcalsailing.com

Although we'll continue to push for the use of mass transit and bicycles to get to and around San Francisco's waterfront, we were surprised by the parking situation at Crissy Field. Friendly attendants helped direct cars to park in an orderly manner, maximizing the use of the acres of space available. As late as noon on Saturday, you could still find a spot. "Free parking all day," said one attendant. "Every day. Not overnight though." The shoreline along Crissy Field and the St. Francis and Golden Gate YC parking lots had plenty of space for race-goers. The Beach Hut Cafe was quite crowded right at noon, and the food booth in the yacht club parking lot was over-priced, so bringing a picnic would not be a bad idea. In addition to the ticketed bleachers at GGYC and the Marina Green, free bleachers are set up in the StFYC parking lot.

Picnic benches and inflatable cushions made for comfortable viewing of the big screen in the America's Cup Village. You can see a ticketed grandstand in the background which faces the water. ©2013 norcalsailing.com

It's a short walk from the yacht clubs over to the America's Cup Village on the Marina Green, where the parking was full. A big screen TV held the attention of viewers once the racing started, but it faces east as is thus backlit by the afternoon sun. In addition to food booths, a Peroni beer garden is available. But pay $8.50 for a Coors Light? No thanks.

Does this man ever stop? John Arndt of Latitude 38 and SailSFBay.org prepares the display of "boats for the rest of us" at the AC Village. ©2013 norcalsailing.com

This group of kids were sailing in the AC Open O'Pen Bic High Wind Slalom held for 9 to 15-year-olds this weekend before and after the LVC races. ©2013 norcalsailing.com

Although it didn't look like or feel like a very big audience, the announcers called it a "record crowd."

A big jumpy cushion helped kids burn off energy. The Village is very kid-friendly. ©2013 norcalsailing.com

While the America's Cup Village had perfect conditions and little to complain about, the racing out on the course between Luna Rossa and the Kiwis saw less than perfect boat handling and maintenance. Luna Rossa broke their newly modified starboard daggerboard just before the start of Race 1 of the Louis Vuitton Cup finals, which was delayed for 15 minutes because the wind strength was over the limit.

Ten minutes before the start of the race, the crew of Piranha were still working on their daggerboard. ©2013 Gilles Martin-Raget/ACEA

At the last minute, they were able to fix it and start, but it broke once more at the first reaching mark. They limped around the course for awhile, trying to stay in the race, perhaps in case something more catastrophic happened to Emirates Team New Zealand, or the wind limits, which were close to being reached, forced the race committee to abandon.

Although they were no longer being pushed by a competitor, ETNZ nearly had that catastrophic failure. Aoetearoa approached the last windward gate mark in 18-19 knots of breeze. A puff hit as they were going into the turn; the bows dug in, crashing water damaged the port fairings and two crew – Chris Ward and Rob Waddell – went over the side.

From 40 to 0 in 1 second. ©2013 Gilles Martin-Raget/ACEA

Dean Barker, skipper for ETNZ, said, "My first concern was about the two in the water. They were all right so I checked the guys onboard – only a few bruises."

Their shore boat was close at hand to pick up the swimmers, the big grinders Rob Waddell and Chris Ward. ©2013 Gilles Martin-Raget/ACEA

The remaining nine crew were able to gingerly finish the race while Luna Rossa gave up and sailed for their base at Piers 30/32. The damage was severe enough that neither boats would have been able to compete in the scheduled Race 2, and, mercifully, the wind piped up over the set limit so the RC could call it day.

For the complete schedule and lots more, see www.americascup.com.