A bet between tow groups of businessmen has been credited as the beginning of sailboat racing. The Americans - bragging that their tow misted schooners were the fastest vessels to ever sail the seas - and the English - refusing to be beaten by the sassy young country - invited the Americans to send a boat and crew to Great Britain for a competition of speed. The event quickly grew to be more than a wager between two groups of businessmen and became a challenger of pride between the tow countries. It has sawed a multi million dollar, highly technical industry fueled but syndicated comprise of large corporations and the racing team. It has grown to where it is no longer just a contest of skill but it has become a contest of technological knowledge and equipment.
America boats now have a budget raining from ten to twenty million dollars. The largest coast is that of the sails which, on the average, will total over a million dollars. Each boat is equipped with a minimum of 50 sails and has as many as 500 sails. Main sails alone cost and average of
No limitations were placed on the sizes such boats in early competitions. For example, the first American boats to race were 101 feel long with an additional 17-foot bowstring. Large fluctuations in dimensions were evident among different boats. The average length of modern vales is approximately 65 felt. To help restricted the advantage a wealthy syndicate has in boat design, the falling formulas has been enacted.
Many large corporations donate computer time and digital equipment. “This vast improvement in technology couldn’t possible be done without computer,” says nick Deckard, a California naval arcane. The time spend by Deckard is seconds only you hours require to develop a make weapon system such as “star wars”.
Other electronic aids are fences that measure distance to the starting line, lasers that measure wind buy sending dust practical, and optical fibers in sails to determine sails design. With the different variety of electronic, this portion of the expenses could almost over $300 000.