Winging It: ORACLE TEAM USA's Incredible Comeback to Defend the America's Cup (INTERNATIONAL MARINE-RMP) - Softcover

Swintal, Diane

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0071834125 ISBN 13: 9780071834124

Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, 2013

Synopsis

"The design and tactical battles that led to the most exciting America's Cup in history are laid out in meticulous detail in Winging It: Oracle Team USA's Incredible Comeback to Defend The America's Cup. Written by three veteran sailing journalists, Winging It provides an insider's look at the professional sailing business and the America's Cup, from how the 72-foot cats became the boat of choice - one early requirement: They had to be able to be disassembled and transported in standard shipping containers - to the design modifications Oracle made in the later stages of the series to bounce back from an 8:1 deficit and retain the Cup (not much besides some minor tinkering with the rudder)." (Forbes). "Whether you are a casual fan or a die-hard America's Cup follower, you're likely to enjoy Winging It. The three authors-all accredited journalists who spent many, many hours in the America's Cup Media Center - will take you from the origins of the America's Cup in 1851 all the way through Oracle Team USA's incredible comeback in San Francisco in September 2013." (CupExperience). "Winging It holds a place on my bookshelf that is within easy reach.It has become the go-to book on the 34th America's Cup as a means of quickly checking a fact, or time sequence or some aspect of the Cup that has become a little fuzzy even after this short passage of time. It should have a place in everyone's laptop kitbag, either as a quick read in a spare moment, or as a serious reference." (Sail-World). A miracle on the water Millions of sailing enthusiasts and casual fans alike watched the America's Cup in awe as the Oracle Team USA trailing one point to New Zealand's eight, was first to the finish line in eight consecutive races. This miracle triumph left many wondering "How did they do it?" The answers come together in Winging It, with insights from naval architects and builders on their radical boat designs, the consequences of racing these untested boats, and explanations of how the fo

About this title

Review:

The book is a treasure trove of information on everything from a detailed account of how Oracle Team USA managed the impossible to a comprehensive look at the physics of foiling. Better still it's done from the perspective of a trio of 'outsiders,' not beholden to Larry Ellison. As a result, the writing has a spark to it that was and is all too often missing from the forever-upbeat corporatized verbiage produced by the America's Cup media machine.As much fun as it was to watch the Cup itself, the pace of events-not to mention the secrecy surrounding the two camps throughout the competition-was such that it was impossible to get the complete picture. Winging It fills in those gaps and in the process also affords the reader a chance to enjoy 'the greatest comeback in sports history' all over again. Sail 20140129 "The design and tactical battles that led to the most exciting America's Cup in history are laid out in meticulous detail in Winging It: Oracle Team USA's Incredible Comeback to Defend The America's Cup. Written by three veteran sailing journalists, Winging It provides an insider's look at the professional sailing business and the America's Cup, from how the 72-foot cats became the boat of choice - one early requirement: They had to be able to be disassembled and transported in standard shipping containers - to the design modifications Oracle made in the later stages of the series to bounce back from an 8:1 deficit and retain the Cup (not much besides some minor tinkering with the rudder). Forbes 20131223

From the Back Cover:

A miracle on the water

"When it's very difficult and challenging, that's when it's the most rewarding. You have to play the cards you're dealt. We're not going to make excuses; we're going to work hard...We're sailors, we're athletes...Life's not fair sometimes but the beauty of the sport is that you can win if you go win the race. We can win this Cup if we can win the next few races. We control our own destiny."
-Jimmy Spithill, Helmsman and Skipper, ORACLE TEAM USA

Boston Red Sox and the 2004 World Series. The Buffalo Bills and the NFL's biggest come-from-behind win ever. Michael Jordan and Game 6 of the 1992 NBA finals. And now added to this list of amazing sports comebacks is ORACLE TEAM USA's triumph in the 2013 America's Cup. Millions of sailing enthusiasts and casual fans alike watched in awe as the team, trailing one point to New Zealand's eight, was first to the finish line in eight consecutive races. This miracle triumph left many wondering "How did they do it?"

The answers come together in Winging It, with insights from naval architects and builders on their radical boat designs, the consequences of racing these untested boats, and explanations of how the foils and wingsails--rarely seen on boats before--work. The book explores the impact of events that led up to the Cup, including how a sudden capsize threw the entire event into doubt before the 2013 America's Cup ultimately delivered an epic finale. Top sailors share their stories, including the victorious Jimmy Spithill on USA 17 and the shockingly defeated ETNZ skipper Dean Barker.

This is the story of an historic win that goes beyond the emotions of the day to explain how the many months of innovation, research, trials, and failures helped secure the Cup in the final race on September 25.

About this edition

• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0071834125
• ISBN 13: 9780071834124
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 224