Hopeful thinking, because it definitely was an oops!, but still very funny -- even though I am probably the only Kiwi in the world who isn't all worked up about That Cup.
The trouble for me is that they don't look like yachts. Where are the beautiful mothlike craft designed by men who could make fast-moving small vessels look lovely? What about the original racing schooners, which were gorgeous? Why in heavens' name did they go and change the rules?
These vessels look like trailers. They look like airplanes that are taxiing rather fast. What does intrigue me, though, is their sails. They remind me of the sails of Tahitian pahi. Tupaia, the great Tahitian star navigator, informed Captain Cook that a fast voyaging Tahitian pahi could cover 1200 miles in just ten days -- rather galling for the commander of the Endeavour, which struggled to reach six knots, and would take at least twice the time to sail that distance.
So those modern designers have got the sails right, it seems.
No comments:
Post a Comment