Saturday, 30 December 2017

Smells Like Teen Spirit: The year in review (Part 8 AKA #TheGrandFinaleII (My 100th & final blog of 2017 (MMXVII)

Well, it all has come down to this, it's new years eve today with 2018 fast approaching by tomorrow so this is part 8 of my year in review so here's another of those best blogs with the most views of the month from the December period this month (Excluding the 8 part year in review) beginning with I Stay Away/No Excuses: 2018 FIFA World Cup draw review:

Well, the draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup has been announced so it gives me great pleasure to reveal the draw & matches for the 2018 FIFA World Cup (Well I wrote it down on a piece of paper):

Group stage

Group A

Russia
Saudi Arabia
Egypt
Uruguay

Russia Vs Saudi Arabia: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
Egypt Vs Uruguay: Ekaterinburg Stadium, Ekaterinburg
Russia Vs Egypt: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg
Uruguay Vs Saudi Arabia: Rostov-on-Don Stadium, Rostov-On-Don
Uruguay Vs Russia: Samara Stadium, Samara
Saudi Arabia Vs Egypt: Volgograd Stadium, Volgograd

Group B

Portugal
Spain
Morocco
IR Iran

Morocco Vs IR Iran: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg
Portugal Vs Spain: Fisht Stadium, Sochi
Portugal Vs Morocco: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
IR Iran Vs Spain: Kazan Arena, Kazan
IR Iran Vs Portugal: Saransk Stadium, Saransk
Spain Vs Morocco: Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad

Group C

France
Australia
Peru
Denmark

France Vs Australia: Kazan Arena, Kazan
Peru Vs Denmark: Saransk Stadium, Saransk
Denmark Vs Australia: Samara Stadium, Samara
France Vs Peru: Ekaterinburg Stadium, Ekaterinburg
Denmark Vs France: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
Australia Vs Peru: Fisht Stadium, Sochi

Group D

Argentina
Iceland
Croatia
Nigeria

Argentina Vs Iceland: Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow
Croatia Vs Nigeria: Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad
Argentina Vs Croatia: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novogrod
Nigeria Vs Iceland: Volgograd Stadium, Volgograd
Nigeria Vs Argentina: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg
Iceland Vs Croatia: Rostov-on-Don Stadium, Rostov-On-Don

Group E

Brazil
Switzerland
Costa Rica
Serbia

Costa Rica Vs Serbia: Samara Stadium, Samara
Brazil Vs Switzerland: Rostov-on-Don Stadium, Rostov-On-Don
Brazil Vs Costa Rica: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg
Serbia Vs Switzerland: Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad
Serbia Vs Brazil: Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow
Switzerland Vs Costa Rica: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novogrod

Group F

Germany
Mexico
Sweden
Korea Republic

Germany Vs Mexico: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
Sweden Vs Korea Republic: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novogrod
Korea Republic Vs Mexico: Rostov-on-Don Stadium, Rostov-On-Don
Germany Vs Sweden: Fisht Stadium, Sochi
Mexico Vs Sweden: Ekaterinburg Stadium, Ekaterinburg
Korea Republic Vs Germany: Kazan Arena, Kazan

Group G

Belgium
Panama
Tunisia
England

Belgium Vs Panama: Fisht Stadium, Sochi
Tunisia Vs England: Volgograd Stadium, Volgograd
Belgium Vs Tunisia: Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow
England Vs Panama: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novogrod
Panama Vs Tunisia: Saransk Stadium, Saransk
England Vs Belgium: Kaliningrad Stadium, Kaliningrad

And last but not least, Group H

Poland
Senegal
Colombia
Japan

Colombia Vs Japan: Saransk Stadium, Saransk
Poland Vs Senegal: Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow
Japan Vs Senegal: Ekaterinburg Stadium, Ekaterinburg
Poland Vs Colombia: Kazan Arena, Kazan
Japan Vs Poland: Volgograd Stadium, Volgograd
Senegal Vs Colombia: Samara Stadium, Samara

Knockout stage

Round of 16

1st Group C Vs 2nd Group D: Kazan Arena, Kazan
1st Group A Vs 2nd Group B: Fisht Stadium, Sochi
1st Group B Vs 2nd Group A: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow
1st Group D Vs 2nd Group C: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novogrod
1st Group E Vs 2nd Group F: Samara Stadium, Samara
1st Group G Vs 2nd Group H: Rostov-on-Don Stadium, Rostov-On-Don
1st Group F Vs 2nd Group E: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg
1st Group H Vs 2nd Group G: Otkrytiye Arena, Moscow

Quarter-finals

Winner 49 Vs winner 50: Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novogrod
Winner 53 Vs winner 54: Kazan Arena, Kazan
Winner 55 Vs winner 56: Samara Stadium, Samara
Winner 51 Vs winner 52: Fisht Stadium, Sochi

Semi-finals

Winner 57 Vs winner 58: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg
Winner 59 Vs winner 60: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

Play-off for 3rd place

Loser 61 Vs loser 62: Saint Petersburg Stadium, St. Petersburg

Final

Winner 61 Vs winner 62: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow

And the last one is taken from Sultans Of Swing: New Zealand's history at the America's Cup:

Well, with Auckland (Or not) set to host the next America's Cup in 2021, here is some of the evolution of New Zealand's America's Cup yachts over the years:

1986/87 - Plastic Fantastic

Protagonist: Chris Dickson (New Zealand Challenge)
Designer: Bruce Farr
Key innovation: Fibreglass
Antagonist: Dennis Conner (Stars & Stripes)

1988 - Big boat

Protagonist: David Barnes (New Zealand Challenge)
Designer: Bruce Farr
Key innovation: It was big - very, very big
Antagonist: Dennis Conner (Stars & Stripes)

1992 - NZL 20

Protagonist: Rod Davis (New Zealand Challenge)
Designer: Bruce Farr
Key innovation: Outrigger on bowsprit, steered by flaps on the keel, tandem keel with a nine ton lead bulb between.
Antagonist: Paul Cayard (Il Moro De Venezia)

1995 - Black Magic

Protagonist: Russell Coutts (Team New Zealand)
Designer: Doug Peterson & Laurie Davidson
Key innovation: Red socks
Antagonist: Dennis Conner (Young America (Stars & Stripes merged with PACT 95 syndicate)

2000 - NZL 60

Protagonist: Russell Coutts (Team New Zealand)
Designer: Laurie Davidson & Clay Oliver
Key innovation: Kink-bow & Millennium mast
Antagonist: None (Friendly rivalry against Luna Rossa Challenge)

2003 - NZL 82

Protagonist: Dean Barker & Bertrand Pace (Team New Zealand)
Designer: Mike Drummond, Clay Oliver & Tom Schnackenberg
Key innovation: Hull appendage & keel bulb
Antagonist: Russell Coutts (Alinghi)

2007 - NZL 92

Protagonist: Dean Barker (Emirates Team New Zealand)
Designer: Mike Drummond, Clay Oliver & Tom Schnackenberg
Key innovation: Buzzy bee bulb
Antagonist: Brad Butterworth (Alinghi)

2013 - Aotearoa

Protagonist: Dean Barker (Emirates Team New Zealand)
Designer: Nick Holroyd
Key innovation: Foiling upwind
Antagonist: Jimmy Spithill (Oracle Team USA)

2017 - AC50

Protagonist: Glenn Ashby (Emirates Team New Zealand)
Designer: Dan Bernasconi
Key innovation: Cyclors
Antagonist: Jimmy Spithill (Oracle Team USA)

2021 - Foiling monohulls

Designer: Dan Bernasconi

So that is my 180th blog of the year 2017 (MMXVII) & my 100th this year (Wow! Unbelievable! My 100th blog this year! Oh my goodness, this is fantastic! Absolutely incredible! Another 20 blogs to hit the double ton).

P.S. I went with Dad (Although he went to a hospital because his nose was bleeding after he collided with another surf board 2 days ago) to New Plymouth on a camper van (I had to bring my America's Cup book to read it during the trip) from the 28th of December until yesterday so I did enjoy that trip because it was quite so good (We went to Opunake yesterday from New Plymouth because we had lunch there).

And I would like to say thanks to my whole friends & family such as Pops, Dad, Jansen, Raewyn, Aunty Tania, Rejean, Uncle Bryan, Aunty Viv, Ashley, Charlotte, Leon Benbaruk, Hanne, Sophia Ong, John Coburn, Lim Chin Keong, Cathey Middelplaats, Paige Williams, Kathryn, Ken Branch & Ben Blain as well as Diana Kent for all my support, thank you...As we will see you in 2018.

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