America’s Cup legislation passes Congress

[The Straight Story]

America’s Cup legislation passes Congress

San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee last week announced that the America's Cup Act, which will facilitate hosting the 34th America's Cup by authorizing certain eligible vessels to participate in the events, passed the U.S. House of Representatives after passing the Senate earlier this month.

The legislation is on the way to President Barack Obama’s desk for signature.

“This is a major milestone in our efforts to host the 34th America’s Cup and bring the excitement of this worldwide competitive event here to San Francisco,” Lee said in a statement. “I am thankful for the bipartisan support of this bill in Congress and for the strong stewardship of House Democratic Leader Pelosi and Sens. Feinstein and Boxer in securing passage of the America’s Cup Act that will create jobs and boost our local economy at this critical time.”

The economic impact of San Francisco hosting the 34th America’s Cup is significant and includes an estimated 8,800 jobs and nearly $1.4 billion in economic effects to San Francisco and the Bay Area, according to the mayor’s statement.

http://www.tradeonlytoday.com/home/517304-americas-cup-legislation-passes-congress

[gratuitous]

1. And the Republic is saved!

What is America about if not watching gazillionaires race their yachts?

[taught_me_patience]

2. I'm driving up to SF to watch

the boats in the competition are awesome!

[Brother Buzz]

8. They're more than awesome, they're wicked cool

The forty-five foot trainers, anyway. I haven't seen the 72 footer in action yet.

These wingsails make the wing masts I was building for the ocean racing cats back in the eighties look, well, pedestrian.

The acceleration these wicked cool cats achieve is almost almost impossible to describe, it would have to be experienced. An E-ticket ride, for sure. Now, how can I weasel a ride on one during a training day?

[taught_me_patience]

12. I love when the round the windward mark

and nearly pitch pole while bearing down. There's a great Americas Cup channel on youtube where you can watch all the world series regattas for free.

[Brother Buzz]

16. The dangers of pitchpoling are ever-present pushing these rockets. Blink and you trip!

The problems will be reduced with the bigger boat, but they will go too, only in a more spectacular fashion. Imagine crews hanging forty-fifty feet in the air above the bay.

For the uninitiated, pitchpoling is a forward stumble, a trip, a cartwheel, a crash, when a hull punches into a wave and the inertia drives the boat forward, ass over tea kettle. It's a violent type of capsize as the boat rapidly decelerates and the crew is driven forward, sometimes in free fall.

Here's some footage of a spectacular crash right in the SF bay. One man fell through the wingsail. The boat was uprighted and sailed home under it's own power. Internal replacement parts were computer milled in the yard. Repairs were made overnight and the boat was sailing the next day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KNql99zT6s&feature=relmfu

taught_me_patience, thanks for the youtube tip. I'm watching it in installments.

[jmowreader]

3. Isn't this about one step up from naming a post office?

Our Congress does some things well. Unfortunately, they're things like bringing a boat race to San Francisco and naming post offices.

This really seems, at least to me, like something that's more appropriately handled in the private sector. How many of our esteemed members of Congress have ever even seen an America's Cup sailboat, much less crewed one?

[Blue_Tires]

9. one of those "puppes, kitties and flags" resolutions

i'm wondering why this needed and act of congress as well...

[pinboy3niner]

15. Looks like it exempts certain vessels from U.S. law

That's how it will "facilitate" holding the event here. We could look into it further, but I'm not sure we really want to know...

[Turbineguy]

4. Let me guess....

the official US entry has a Chinese flag and an Indian crew?

[DJ13]

5. No, a crew of US CEO's on a sailboat made in China

[OffWithTheirHeads]

6. I can't wait! S.F. Bay is some tough sailing what with the tides and all

I hope they include a sail under the GG bridge and through the potato patch in the course!

[kenny blankenship]

7. I knew I could believe in this Change!

Finally, the govt is responding to the cries of the people.

[annabanana]

10. Well, clearly there were a bunch of their REAL constituents who asked them

really really nicely.

[spanone]

11. thank gaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwddddddddd.

[Are_grits_groceries]

13. Well now that they settled that

important issue, they can return to their gridlock and squabbling.

[Johonny]

14. I'm blown away that these idiots can agree on anything these days

so I guess this is a "not bad" thing :)