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Our West Coast correspondent dropped by the BMW Oracle base in San Diego to check up on giant multi-hull progress and provides this report: Naturally the "dognormous" boat, using nearly every square inch of something that can't really be called a slip, is the focus of the morning's activity. Sails are loaded onto the boat with halyards and pulleys and cables -- cables of a size that get everyone's attention and mean no one has to be told to get out of the way. Even with the sails and sailors onboard, the boat sits elegantly on the water, with very little wetted surface. Photo Galleries and more below: BMW Oracle Multi-hull on TV: Also, unrelated to BMW Oracle, enjoy this vintage Walter Cronkite interview with Ted Turner, circa 1977: CBS News Video Nov 28, 2008: BMW Oracle Boat completes Phase 1 Testing
Oct 20, 2008: Two weeks of San Diego testing complete: BMW Oracle web site (offline) Inside the BMW Oracle compound: It's interesting to note some comparisons
between BMW Oracle's boat and the giant new 131-foot ocean racing trimaran
Banque Populaire V.
See Banque story and photos by Lyn Hines at Sailing World |
Sept 15, 2008: Why San Diego? "Warm weather, the right wind, sea conditions that will give us a good picture and a lot of room." : SignOnSanDiego.com Sept 10: Monster Watching: "While sailing upwind in no more than 9 knots of breeze, they heeled the boat enough to sail on only the leeward float, making even speed with our media boat at roughly 26 knots": Scuttlebutt News Sept 10: James Spithill: "We're not even at 50 percent yet and it's already pretty impressive.": Seattle Times Sept 10: Training moving to San Diego: IHT Sept 8: Sailing World podcast with James Spithill Sept 3: John Kostecki: "...There isn't anything like this, a multi-hull like this..." Read more at NZ Herald Sept 1: First Sail Press Release (offline) Aug 30: Bob Fisher: 5300 sf mainsail, 3700 sf foresail, and 7500 sf spinnaker to be raised Saturday Aug 29: Testing Begins Aug 28: First sail Labor Day weekend?
(offline)
James Spithill: "It's awesome, mate. The first time you see it in real life it's a shock factor, to be real honest." Read more at International Herald Tribune Spy Shots showing BMW Oracle multi-hull preparation and launching. See spy photo gallery Step-by-step coverage of launch and rigging nearly live Monday afternoon: Dogzillabuzz Blog |
