Conference unifix::sailing

    Thanks for the lead!  I tracked down an issue an enjoyed the article.
    
    Now if I could only get a whiff of some real coastal salt air....AH
    
    But not here in New Mexico unfortunately.
    
    hank

    Ken Olsen personally donated two micro-VAXen to Dennis Conner's
    Sail America Syndicate for use in winning the Cup back.  This presented
    an interesting situation for Australian Field Service because they
    were asked to be responsible for installing and maintaining Conners
    micro-VAX's.  
    
    The Australian Country Field Service Manager stated that they would
    do it "with some engineer animosity".
    
    It would be interesting to see if the final competitors are both
    using DEC hardware, supplied by DEC, installed by DEC and maintained
    by DEC!
    
    
                                       

    I just had a strange thought.
    
    What about the rule that requires equipment to be supplied by the
    country of origin of the boat. Remember the big flap over Australia
    II's keel being designed in the Netherlands.
    
    It suppose it doesn't apply to certain high-tech gear. There was
    a time when the rule was loosened because not every country had
    access to the latest Kevlar-Mylar and mast extrusion technology.
    
    How much battery capacity do you suppose it takes to keep a micro-VAX
    juiced for a day of racing? There's probably more lead in the batteries
    than the keel. I wonder how they determine where to position it? 

    The latest high-tech keel design: fill it up with deep-cycle
    Die-Hards...
    
    I can see it now... the cup is won or lost based on DEC field service
    response time...
    
    					...tek

    This note causes me to have an interesting fantasy, being an Ex-field
    type.  I'm envisioning the call.  Don't recall having ChrisCraft
    as an option for my Fleet vehicle.  ....Sykes
    

    re .3
    I believe that it is only gear on the boat that has to be "Home-made".
    I am sure that some of the previous challengers had on-board micros
    and they were not made in their own country.
    James

    As I recall from the last cup, NYYC (who set the rules to protect
    themselves) had previously required all hardware originate in the
    challengers/defenders country. As of the last cup only the design
    (and perhaps the construction) of the hull had to be home grown.
    
    Are they actually using the systems onboard the yachts ?  I can
    see a DEC'ie FS type now: hanging from a halyard above the 3rd
    spreader replacing a strain guage on a jumper strut (within the
    bounds of our policy to service non-DEC products attached to a DEC
    system at the local offices discression).
    
    Walt 

    Dennis Conners is using his MicroVax system to analyse data that is
    transmitted from the boat via telemetry. There's no immediate feedback
    to the crew. I don't know how Kookaburra is using their system.
    Does anyone know if they're using it to provide direct feedback to
    the crew? Most of the instrument manufacturers are using micros
    in their "integrated" systems but no one is talking about a real
    inteligent system. You could come up with a really helpful set of
    displays!
    
    Maybe we ought to add bosun seats to the FS tech's kit! :<)
    
    Ed  

    As I recall from the InterOffice article (it's been a while since
    I read it, so I may have brain-fog) the K--a (I can't spell it..)
    group uses their MV-I to collect and partially reduce data on-board,
    while the onshore 750 produces various profiles of sail trim vs.
    wind speed vs. boat speed vs. etc... to help the crew learn about
    their boat so they can understand what makes the boat move and can
    reduce the time it takes to trim.  They don't actually get immediate
    feedback (altho Connors group may)... 
    
    It would be really neat if they could take all the profile data
    and put it back into the boat's computer so that the computer could
    look up the last time the boat was in nearly the same situation
    and figure out what the crew should do... I could enjoy working
    on a project like that...
    
    						...tek

    just got back from 3 weeks down under. while there, the aussie version
    of computer world put out a 30+ page issue on digital. on page 2
    is a full color ad for dec with both boats, one using a digital
    spiniker.
    
    also was around for the launching of the sydney 12 meter boat. it
    is called steak and kidney (a slang expression for the city, sort
    of like bean town for boston). they had frogmen and everything.
    unfortunitley, as they raised the boat to but it into the harbor,
    the covering fell off in from off the press!!!!
    
    i shot about 20 photos of it with my telephoto lens. the pictures
    should be ready later this week if anyone would like a peek at
    them.
    
    also say the conditions in perth. the nz teams wouldn't even put
    up their jibs because the winds were BLOWING!!!! hard. Word is 
    that is will be a long series that will seperate the men from the
    boys.
    
    john

    According to the InterOffice article, Kookaburra uses the u-vax
    two ways: 
    
    "primary purpose of our on-board system is to develop a
    multi-dimensional performance profile"
    
    In this mode they're sending telemetry back to the shore bound 750
    where they analyze the data.

    "Because we are in real-time mode, we will be able to use it as
    a tactical tool as well.
    
    My understanding is that during actual race conditions they're not
    allowed to receive feedback from the shore based system.