Tricky wind conditions combined with the level of competition inevitably lead to some spectacular crashes, capsizes and other hair-raising near misses.
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FIRST-HAND IMPRESSIONS
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European Venues
VENUE PARTNERS
Host Cities Venice Cowes Amsterdam
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Up close and personal
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LEADING LADIES
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ZOOM!
ZOOM! ZOOM!
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G.M. Raget / BMW Oracle
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© P.Contin / DPPI
© OnEdition
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© OnEdition
G.M. Raget / BMW Oracle
© P.Contin / DPPI
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© OnEdition
© V.Curutchet / DPPI
© TornadoSport / Tommy Hilfiger
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Š P.Contin / DPPI (both photos this page)
Mainsail: The powerhouse of the boat — big enough to accommodate 4 parked London buses!
Jib: Used for upwind sailing, made from
BOOM: Horizontal pole which extends out
a fibre called 3DL which has strands of
from the mast along the bottom of the mainsail,
carbon fibre and Kevlar (an incredibly
and helps pull the sail in and out
light, strong fibre used in flak-jackets)
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DAGGERBOARD: Fin near the middle of each hull, designed to stop the catamaran from going sideways
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Speed
Machines
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Mast: 62ft (18.9m) high, and made in two sections. The stiffness varies along its length to allow the mast shape to be altered to increase performance. It can also rotate to improve mainsail performance
Trampoline: Held taught between the two hulls and made of lightweight but tough nylon mesh, this allows the crew to move from side to side
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TEAMS
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TEAMS
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TEAMS
Holmatro
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TEAMS
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TEAMS
Behind The Scenes
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ABOUT . . .
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