RE: 33rd America's cup - Multi dual cat or tri ???
According to the commentators, there were 200+ sensors on the wing. This lot was there for a purpose, it was providing information. Pull the battery out, and you have an unsailable boat. Computer reads information, digests and translates it to instructions for the crew. Without the electronics in full working order, either the boat or its performance will suffer. The result of trying to sail without the electronics would rapidly be a raft or a wreck. This includes a wire falling off. Fully manual boats (and this is supposed to be a sport involving athletic ability, and the use of human senses in an environment supplied by nature) don't have this problem. They have to be designed to survive a slower reaction time. The main attraction of skiffs was their propensity to ground loop, probably not a good idea in a 90 foot boat.
In the case of Oracle, the sail had to be left erected, and an overnight crew installed in case it decided to wander off. Not the best arrangement for real life use, and any improvements that racing is supposed to give should be translatable in some way to the real world.
Evolution is a great tool for advancement, but it has to be recognised that it also runs up a lot of blind alleys.
In 2007 we had about 11 teams in the challenge series to follow and cheer on or groan over as appropriate for over a month. This time round, two teams, two processions. It dragged out to a week because the boats, although only suitable for a long course, were incapable of dealing with the changes of conditions inherent in a long course that couldn't be changed. The first two were cancelled, the last one nearly didn't happen when the SNG race committee threw their collective rattle out of their pram and tried to prevent the second race happening.
The courses set in 2007 were compact enough to allow for rearrangement at short notice because the boats were manoeuvrable when racing. The compactness of the course allowed for spectators on shore, which was much appreciated by Valencia for the months worth of publicity and the tourist trade. This time round, a week of very little. Other venues might well take note that all they will get out of it is at best a couple of weeks hassle.