[Laxguy]

Oh for the love of sports! I am trying to find today's race of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the knock out rounds to determine the Challenger for the America's Cup to be sailed in September on San Francisco Bay.
Today is Race 3, and while NBC and America's Cup websites say they have it, it looks like NBC Sports Extra is not available on DIRECTV; Youtube says "It's not available in your country", and none of the NBC stations here show it in their guides at 4 or 7 PM PDT, nor does Comcast Sports Bay Area have it listed. Am I SOL? I am guessing I can watch it on Youtube after it airs delayed on what stations do carry it (KNTV in SF will no doubt air it, and I have written KCRA in Sacramento, not holding breath on that).I'll also check into those stations at four and seven in case the Guide is wrong and it will be aired here.
But very much open to any other ideas.... or just commiseration. (!)

 

[Laxguy]

Thanks, Gents; just in time; it shows here in 15 minutes, just when I finish watching the 49ers mess up big time.

I guess I'll have to add the 220 to my list of checks; DIRECTV Smart Search didn't turn up anything under "sailing". Now if that term is left out of tags, do they have robots doing the coding??

 

[Laxguy]

Those racing boats aren't yacht-like. A yacht is large (as are these), elegant looking (72's are not) comfortable (72's are not) and full of amenities, such as a full galley, private heads and showers, and... well, you get the picture.

Besides, "yachting" is questionable as a verb.....

 

[Laxguy]

I have very mixed feelings about this A/C.....the technology is awesome and watching those big birds hydrofoil through a jibe is incredible. The TV coverage and personal viewing is way better than ever before. Yet the drama and tension is somehow not as great. I'm not convinced that the crew isn't the major factor here, especially in the current series, where Artemis seems to have the same boatspeed, but can't manage to stay up on the foils the way Luna Rossa can....

I'd like to see boats limited to nationals, from skipper down to tailer/grinder.

 

[Laxguy]

Yes, they did!

And, unfortunately, I agree with your analysis.

The current course very much limits the tracks the boats can take, as so far all races seem to have been scheduled for a hefty flood or ebb tide. Slack water would give more options, but the way it's set up dictates that the boats have to choose their tacks and jibes based on currents, and less on tactics. So, if you're behind, the traditional tactic of choosing a different course than the leader won't work....neither will following him! Draper won only one start, IRRC, and that wasn't brilliant given his was a very slightly slower boat.