... so waiwhakamukau ... is really asking a question in maori... "why hurt your back on a cow, have you tried the sheep?"

 

I think this guy is right, that the race is more about money.

Now it's too high tech and who has the most money is going to win.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaWJs8vr_f8

 

Yarrh that be some sail, sez aye.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJFk4l-FWzk

 

Amazing, I used to do some sailing on real small 1 person catamarans. We got caught in some nasty weather once on the Chesapeake Bay, water was real choppy and wind gusting at 30+. The only good was a consistent direction, everyone capsized but me. When she stood up and I hiked as far as I could and it kept rising, I'd crank her into the wind, into the no go zone and reset. Those little dinghies, you try to run with the wind to get speed, that day the wind was blowing too hard at times. One guy tried it and it literally flipped him up and over. The mast got jammed into the bottom and we had to take turns diving down to hand shovel it out.

These guys riding these rigs, nuts man, I have a ton of respect for them. It's not easy at all and very physical. 8-1 and we win 8 straight to take it all, unheard of. Good fight by your boys mitch!

 

yep mr ford u would have to be game to race these things ,thought they cud bring them back here an do tourist rides,but see in tdays paper they comming back but have to be wrecked as to dangerous for anyone else to sail and are allready out of date

 

Mitch, you watch Top Gear UK at all? Most recent series, I believe the first episode of it they did a race with the Kiwi's. Clarkson drove over land and May hopped on the catamaran with a Kiwi Cup team. May won but he was completely beat up by the roughness of the ride. Tourist rides would have to come with major health waivers. Also dangerous with the boom swing, that thing has killed people before who were legit sailors and knew to keep their head down. Something this large though, you need a full team to go out in it, not 1 or 2 and the rest simply riders.