Turning an AC75 + What a sea breeze looks like

Matt Sheahan takes to the skies to think about how turning an AC75 and turning a plane are the same...but different. And while he's up there he takes a look at a weather feature that has already played a big part in the America's Cup racing so far...the sea breeze. Here's what it looks like from the air.

[@colmanoceanracing]

Maintaining your dialogue while maintaining coordinated turns. Bloody good job Matt

[@gasparweb]

This channel is the least influencer-like channel of the KZbin universe, while is one of the most espectacular, well edited, extreme, and informative out there. You have and old likable folk, talking at smooth speed, giving top-notch information while gliding over Auckland. So, this is the KZbin I like!

[@gargoreg]

I've spent many an hour flying gliders and plenty more sailing. I think the two sports compliment each other more than people realise. To read the clouds in the sky and anticipate the air movement (wind) is a key skill to both activities. It's been a few years from when I was flying paragliders and to hear the vario beeping was making the hairs on the back of my neck rise.

[@kiwihouseofenglish]

A fantastic way to explain color to the formerly blind. Thanks!

[@scouth2429]

What a brilliant way to explain the AC75 with two of my favorite things, sailing and flying. The glider looks like fun.

[@svilenferdinandov6368]

Total surprise in a definitely fascinating way. It’s always a pleasure to watch your series! Many, many thanks

[@jamesjoyce5611]

what a fantastic link with foiling, very engaging delivery

[@michaelcooney7687]

As always... a fantastic expose’ on the fine points we don’t think of until “we do”...🤣🥰😎

[@jeannagorman9842]

My husband says: Awesome work from the boy Sheahan in his element...fascinating....

[@sailbrit]

Thoroughly enjoyed that video - fascinating link between aviation and sailing - thank you!

[@PhilbyFavourites]

It’s a hard life, but somebody’s got to do it 😎😎 Whisper it quietly, hugely informative and great fun to watch 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@davidlewin1736]

Enjoyable and informative yet again. The gliding looked great too!

[@Auswaper]

Best one yet

[@jekyll125]

Fascinating and great that you have been able to enjoy your other passion while in NZ

[@chrisshapland5472]

Very impressive and great explanation.

[@deesnutz951]

You guys should be paid or sponsored by ACE or the teams. You do the sport a great service by making it more accessible to newcomers, which I think is what ACE is trying to accomplish as well. You explain what new viewers are wondering about! It is sometimes hard to watch interviews, some more straightforward animated shorts might help too! Similar to the shorts on the AC channel.

[@robinhodgkinson]

It’s probably worth mentioning that the Manukau harbour is on the west coast of New Zealand and the Waitemata harbour, the east. The upper reaches of both are literally just a few hundred meters apart almost splitting New Zealand into three islands! Auckland straddles the land between and historically was a point where Maori would carry their waka (large canoes, pronounced “wocka”) from one to the other to access New Zealand’s west or east coasts. Which is why there is a Portage Rd in Auckland. It was literally the route used to cross the land bridge. The often prevailing south westerlies (aided on warm sunny days by the westerly sea breeze on that seaward side) blow in off the Manukau and meet the easterly sea breeze coming off the Huaraki Gulf on the east coast. Which is why winds can get pretty shifty, or even largely cancel each other out, as they duke it out over the narrow piece of land that is Auckland, and the Waitemata harbour upon which it sits.

[@michaelhermans4753]

I used to work on portage road

[@geopolitix7770]

Nice insights Robin

[@william69ification]

Superb insight into understanding AC75's steering challenges and sea breezes. Good man Matt. Just shows you can't replace age and experience. These whipper snapper commentators are just the pits. Let's hope they get better ones for the next series.

[@trishjenkins7899]

Great one Matt. I'd love to be up there in those skies. Keep up the good work and thanks for bringing it all to us

[@BackVintageWines]

Was waiting for the incipient spin!

[@charlesdarbyshire7091]

strong multi tasking ! I was quite worried for you !

[@neilquigley1030]

Brilliant!

[@bwtcf]

Great video& explanation Matt. The BIG difference for me that needs to be contemplated when comparing planes & AC75s is that the AC75 wing is vertical. So the foils are providing lift, but NOT providing drive or steerage (directly). And the sails ARE providing heeling moment. That dimension is missing in planes/gliders. But there is no doubt the balancing act of flying AC75s is astonishingly complex.

[@PlanetSailOnline]

Glad you liked it - But I was refering to the foils in the water acting like wings and not the sail plan. When both foils are down they act like the ailerons on a plane. I should have made that point clearer in the piece.

[@00BillyTorontoBill]

I was thinking about it 25 yrs ago. and was thinking off Gliding or skydiving... gliding has to be like sailing and 'finding the wind'

[@andrewpeacock8829]

You are quite right - there are a lot of similarities between gliding and sailing as they both revolve around being able to interpret what the environment around us is doing. However, life is too short to say " I was thinking about...", when this bloody virus dies down, find your local gliding club on the internet and go and have a trial flight. I don't think that you will be disappointed.

[@00BillyTorontoBill]

@@andrewpeacock8829 yeah the thermals you wont see... but you will sorta know where they are... dark patches on the ground give off more heat. But also, the wind hitting a ridgleline and deflecting up. Guess what the longest trip is aloft -distance wise?

[@00BillyTorontoBill]

@@andrewpeacock8829 the record is 3,008km. lmao. Andes mountains - south America.

[@cindyullsee393]

The cup is being sailed on the Waitamata Harbour the sea breeze comes from the east (seawards). The souwester is the prevailing breeze which the seabreeze fights when/if it comes. The races are sailed late to make use of Aucklands prevailing winds. Geez I hope you managed to land that aircraft back at the right airfield!

[@MrBluebeard3]

Another informative vid, another tough day in the office!!! Make sure the Kiwi klepto's give your wallet back. :)

[@cbsos4u52]

The turning of a glider is only like the AC75 if you were to use only the rudder only to turn, on a model glider (rudder only) while turning the wings will bank but altitude will drop unless I am in a thermal. On the AC75 your foils prevent the altitude from dropping and I guess thats by angle of attack control on the foil and the apparent increase of water over the outboard foil. I notice the use of rudder elevator during the turning manoeuver to alter the angle of attack, similar to the adding elevator and a tad of rudder to my glider to turn my tail and fly it around the bank rather have it drag around . I love your presentations and in depth interviews.

[@davidbrinkman2768]

Probably a laser gyro, all modern commercial and military aircraft use them, solid-state gyro.

[@MrARH]

And if the windward foil/aileron is pulling/sucking down to keep the boat level - and that foil comes out, cavitates, loses traction - while at the same the leeward foil is pushing up, not wonder the boats take off ... fast.

[@marktwain3387]

What was all that beeping about? I'm sincerely curious now.

[@KL-eh2xe]

Audio variometer, gives the pilot a way to know if the glider is climbing or descending without having to look at the instrument panel. Probably the single most important instrument in a glider.

[@peterebel7899]

@@KL-eh2xe If an AC75's variometer starts beeping you'r in trouble :-)

[@BruceHoult]

High pitched interrupted tone -- you're going up. Low pitched continuous tone -- you're going down. Lets you fly without constantly looking at the instruments.

[@simonfarthing9063]

Were you N or S of Auckland in the glider? also confusing because 2 coasts close together.

[@BlueSoulTiger]

South of the central city, south-east of Manukau harbour I believe, near Drury

[@BruceHoult]

@@BlueSoulTiger The gliding club is at Drury.

[@nh-ss5pw]

Wow

[@johnhoppe9265]

Excellent video! I love your vids (I’m even enduring the stupid German ads on how to get rich without trying....), keep on!

[@timransby1774]

Nice work ... hope you kept the receipt for your accountant .... work related expense !!!

[@alaneckton7564]

Hard life eh Matt?!!

[@tonyhebden4699]

Matt, I have posed this question to you as I believe you would be the best to get the true answer. Scenario ... Peter Burling trips in the shed, falls down and breaks his thumb, what contingency plans are in place for any of the AC teams that would find themselves in this situation. Do the rules allow for a delay for personal injury? We know the key personal in both the AC competitors ... given COVID-19’ belligerent persistence who would we see in the 2021 races if one or more of the “Jimmy’s, Pete’s, Blair’s or the any one of the engine room fellas are not able to join the crew on the day ... let alone the flight controllers ... who is actually skilled up enough to compete for the 2021 AC across the various ‘highly skilled specialised roles’. Look forward to your ‘Sherlock ... ‘ revelations. Cheers Tony

[@mychellevanschaick4321]

I thought I was going to watch at least 8 out of 10 minutes of boats flying...

[@captainsirjackchucklebutty6147]

seen this already eh?

[@peterebel7899]

Come on: Systems of atomization level flying in an AC75? ;;;-)

[@ScottSummerill]

Curious. What was that beeping tone? A stall indicator or a turn indicator? Pricey toy. I had to go check. You must have one heck of a wallet.

[@andrewpeacock8829]

The bleeping tone is the audio output from the variometer. The vario is a very sensitive pressure instrument that measures any change in the atmospheric pressure to determine if the glider is going up, or down (Matt was going up). There is an audio output so the pilot doesn't have to keep looking at teh instrument panel and so can maintain a good look-out outside of the cockpit.

[@888anvil]

Thanks for your question and subsequent answer. Was just about to Google myself when I found your replies :)

[@ScottSummerill]

Wow. Very cool. Thanks!

[@BruceHoult]

Expensive to buy but they last forever with very little maintenance. I just checked online and Auckland Gliding Club charge $120/hour (US$88, 62 GBP) for the Discus he was in.

[@joeypierantonis7576]

Yes, yes it was.... Good content anyway. 👍

[@peterebel7899]

?????? A sailor ending a video: "See you on the ground" ??????

[@kmusicology]

a rather informative business expense

[@colingenge9999]

Why punish us with that annoying music???