Americas Cup 2013

By Daryl Moistner

At 5:00 pm in Oregon on impulse I text my wife to see if she wants to play hooky from work and fly down to San Francisco to watch the Americas Cup ... ..she had just got off the Columbia River herself sailing and texts backed with Siri's help " I am soaking wet" ...except Siri translated it to me as "I am so there" So I jump online and buy tickets to San Fran. She gets home and says...no way...There is no way I can get away from work...oh well...too bad...Off to Frisco I go by myself.

The stunning view from my hotel room

dang ... there are no coincidences? ...run into Wisconsin people

well...if your going to attach a helicopter to your boat it may as well be a Bell 407

That two masted sloop to the left is "The America", A replica of the first boat to win the Americas Cup in England back in 1851 and here is the Oracle heading out to the starting line for race 15.

Here's the cup ... looks more like it is suppose to pour gravy  than the champagne they use it for these days.

There seemed to be more Kiwi spectators than Americans

but hundreds ... actually thousands of both

Race 15 in front of Alcatraz.

The end of race 15 as both cats head towards the finish line.

In 1851 during the first race Queen Victoria who was watching at the finish line, was reported to have asked who was second, the famous answer being: "Ah, Your Majesty, there is no second." So I don't know who these guys are.

Here's a boat for TV coverage. That camera on front is a Flir Ultra Media HD cam. Gyros in 5 axis and up too 1200 mm. I saw a used one for sale for $190,000. It's probably performing a retina scan on my eyeball at the moment.

Another non coincidence...Oregon people

On the Flight Home

Mount Ranier, Washington ... coming into Seattle