AC World Series Portsmouth 23-26th.July

The place to chill out & chat about anything on or even off topic. BTW, mine's a pint of something citrusy & hoppy, please.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
User avatar
Graham_U
surf god
surf god
Posts: 981
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 10:08
Location: Nth.Wiltshire

AC World Series Portsmouth 23-26th.July

Post by Graham_U »

I watched the AC(America's Cup) 45 series on TV last year and its quite amazing seeing what these winged cats can do, and how close to shore they sail. If anyone is interested they are coming to Portsmouth in 2 weeks time and you can still actually get tickets for Free for basic access to the Waterfront Festival Area from Ticketmaster with print your own tickets! They charge for fan zones and Grandstands, some of which are sold out, but something without any fees must be a record from TM! :o
Graham
User avatar
Graham_U
surf god
surf god
Posts: 981
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 10:08
Location: Nth.Wiltshire

Re: AC World Series Portsmouth 23-26th.July

Post by Graham_U »

Anybody planning to go?
Graham
User avatar
Graham_U
surf god
surf god
Posts: 981
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 10:08
Location: Nth.Wiltshire

Re: AC World Series Portsmouth 23-26th.July

Post by Graham_U »

We're back from an interesting weekend at the America's Cup World Series Portsmouth, the TV highlights give a much different impressions to those at the site. I'm glad we went but it was a very mixed experience. Well done Ben and BAR Team, although it wasn't the easiest way to win it with Ben's desire to be at the back at least one in both races.

The first photo on my facebook entry show about the best view through many heads (of LandRover just after the finishing line the finish) we got of the first race on Saturday, the start was in the far distance (second photo on full zoom/cropped) and as the tannoy only started working on the last leg it was all very confusing, until they had completed the first couple of legs and we knew where they were going. As Southsea seafront is pretty flat there is very limited viewing for the public, only the expensive Fanzone and VIP sections had access to the beach near the course or any form of viewing platform. It looked like the Plymouth AC45 venue for the last series was much better.

Viewing for the second race was better as many people seem to drift way after the first race. The organisation Sunday was a complete washout in what was not really extreme weather, if I had my windsurfing kit with me I would have been tempted to give it a go, I've been out in winds a fair bit stronger than 30mph winds already this year. I can understand the sailing being cancelled having seen the sea state in the Harbour mouth on those fragile racers, another problem with Portsmouth as a venue. But to have to close down the site (Southsea Common) in those conditions was an absolute disgrace.

If a seafront venue was not built to put up with those conditions then someone needs to be sacked, and it must have cost someone a lot of money for lost business. It was also appalling organisation that there to be nothing put on for the hardy few thousand that had turned up and got soaked, and spent a fortune to stay for the weekend was an absolute disgrace. Because of the event timing changes at short notice we missed the boats leaving public viewing part of the dockyard, and they never returned to the basin afterwards! So unless you were a VIP there was next to nothing to see on Sunday.

I must however complement the volunteer helpers and the Park and Ride staff who were excellent. The one advantage of having booked a late expensive room to stay the weekend was that it meant we went down for the racing on Saturday. At the beginning of the week I had booked only to go down on Sunday so I would have got very wet and seen nothing.
Graham
Post Reply