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| AC Regatta Director Ian Murray demonstrates locator beacon to be worn by sailors Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / www.vsail.info |
There has been a lot of name calling, accusations and general naughty words on the part of three of the AC teams and the Regatta Director over the past week. On the one side sits Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Challenge, who feel that a couple of the safety recommendations are a guise to push through a more favourable AC72 Class Rule for the Defender, Oracle Team USA, who sit on the other side of the fence, with America's Cup Regatta Director Ian Murray.
Technical details aside, the issue lies with changes to the rudder design and operation with regard to measurement certificates. The current Class Rule does not allow the changes to the rudder bearings or elevators within the scope of one measurement cert, so teams must request multiple certs and choose the night before which one they use. The proposed safety changes from ACRM are to allow for changes to the rudders/bearings up until the warning signal, and larger/different shaped rudder elevators (the horizontal wing shape on the bottom of the rudder).
Where it gets ugly is that ETNZ/LR have 72s that do not require adjustable rudders to foil stable around the race track. They contend the rule changes are being pushed through to allow Oracle's yachts to actually legally rate within the rule or allow them more control of their foiling, depending on who you listen to.
This is all well and good, but it in fact boils down further.
Should the Class Rule be allowed to be changed a week out from racing (whether or not those changes were proposed in May) or should the current rule stand? If the International Jury rules that the rule changes have to have the unanimous support from all 4 teams, they will not be passed. If they do rule that challengers don't need to vote, they hand a massive chunk of development time to the Defender who doesn't require a Measurement Cert until September.
The final sting in the tail is that Ian Murray has stated that if the changes are voted down, he will go to the Coast Guard and say that he does not believe the current safety measures are enough, effectively torpedoing the event, unless the individual competitors can convince them otherwise.
The Jury convenes on Tuesday NZT.
