[CQ-Contest] Americas Cup Sailing - Watch and Learn

[N4ZR]

OK - so where is our "bright line"?  I've been arguing the need for a 
consensus on this for a decade.

I hope nobody will consider me a Luddite - Iwrote arguably the first 
computer contest logger with integrated CW (for the TRS-80 Model 100 and 
Commodore 64) back in the 1970s, and I'm one of the founders of the RBN.

But... for the sake of discussion, how about:

CW and SSB - all decoding and transcription of transmissions to be done 
by use of a human brain.  Yes, I know this "discriminates" against 
people who don't know CW, but it's a small price to pay to prevent the 
advent of truecontesting robots.

RTTY/Digital - no modes that are capable of receiving below 0 SNR

73, Pete N4ZR
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On 6/11/2017 7:49 AM, Ed Sawyer wrote:
> If anyone needed to see a better display of what can happen when technology
> starts taking over a sport, this is it - on steroids.  The technology has
> developed to the point where the reserve of manmade hydraulic energy is
> becoming a limiting factor on the boat (the boats are trying to make
> numerous movements a minute of foils and the wing sail under heavy tension
> force requiring A LOT of hydraulic energy but with only manmade or wind
> energy available).  This has turned the race into 2 guys doing the sailing
> and 4 guys making energy.  Computer control with helmsman inputs doing the
> rest.
>
>   
>
> The sailing crowd has been complaining for a decade now that its no longer
> sailing.  Oracles partnership with Airbus cementing that the race is more
> about getting the boat to "fly" and keeping it there is how you win the
> race.  Is it sailing or flying now.  Calls of - enough is enough - bring
> back real sailboat racing are becoming louder and louder.  Actual crowds
> watching are diminishing and TV coverage is almost non-existent - we watched
> the 2 hour segment only available live with no streaming or reruns
> yesterday.
>
>   
>
> I was quickly reminded what radio contesting is starting to become.  If you
> want to look into the future of radio contesting, have a look at the AC.  If
> you don't like what you see, especially of you have every sailed or dreamed
> about it, give it some thought before we become the next version of it.
>
>   
>
> Kudos to NASCAR as an example of drawing the line on it with a - it still
> needs to be car racing attitude.  No shortage of fans there.
>
>   
>
> 73
>
>   
>
> Ed  N1UR
>
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