At first it looked like the 34th America’s Cup races would be a route. Emirates Team New Zealand was simply out-sailing the defender, Oracle Team USA. Not only was the crew making fewer mistakes but the Kiwi’s boat seemed noticeably faster to windward. In the first five races, the Kiwis won four, compelling Oracle to call a time-out before race six, using its one race postponement card to give the team time to reassess. Races 6 & 7 were also Kiwi wins but things changed dramatically in Race 8. The Kiwis almost capsized, losing the race and coming perilously close to ending their hope of winning the Cup. The Oracle boat also seemed much quicker to windward. Races 9 & 10 confirmed the transformation. Once the laggard, Oracle now appears to have a windward speed advantage, either due to changes in the boat, new crew tactics or both. They won Race 9 and only lost 10 in an exciting squeaker, falling 47 seconds behind the Kiwis.
Is this Oracle resurgence too late? The Kiwis only have to win two more races to claim the Cup while Oracle has to win another seven to hold it. If the last two races are any indication, the final races in 34th America’s Cup will be extremely exciting. If Oracle manages to dominate the last races and win, it will be a comeback tale for the ages.
Scout
Of all the things worth remembering on 9/11, one incredible event is often overlooked. After the attack, all the bridges, tunnels and rail lines in and out of New York City were shut down. Somewhere between 300,000 and one million people were trapped trapped in lower Manhattan. Amazingly, perhaps miraculously, they were all evacuated by that evening by a flotilla of ferries, tugs, excursion boats, fireboats, buoy tenders, patrol boats and yachts. The evacuation was unplanned and almost spontaneous. The Coast Guard called for “All available boats,” and all available boats responded, the captains and crews doing what needed to be done. It was truly an 
Two hundred years ago today, in what would become known as the 