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Serious Penalties
An inquiry by the Measurement Committee and International Jury on modifications that ORACLE TEAM USA made to their AC45 yachts in 2012 ended today with a report issued by the International Jury.
Three team members have been excluded from participating in the regatta. The team has also been deducted two points from its score in the upcoming America's Cup Finals beginning September 7. They have also been fined US$250,000.
In August the team voluntarily withdrew retroactively from the 2012/2013 AC45 regattas in question.
The International Jury confirmed that only a handful of individuals were involved, and that all members of senior management of ORACLE TEAM USA - including skippers Jimmy Spithill and Ben Ainslie, CEO Russell Coutts, General Manager Grant Simmer and Shore Team Director Mark Turner - were not aware or involved in any way.
To win the America's Cup, a team must score nine points, the highest ever number in the competition's 162 year-old history.
The defender now starts with a deficit score of minus-2 and must win 11 races to retain the trophy. Emirates Team New Zealand, the challenger, is unaffected and must win 9 races as before.
The penalties:
Pursuant to Protocol Article 15.4(d)(iv), OTUSA shall be penalised one point for each of the first two races of the Match in which they would otherwise score a point. 100. OTUSA are ordered pursuant to Protocol Articles 15.4(d)(ii) and 15.3(B) to pay a fine of US$250,000. Such fine is to be paid to the following charities:
US$125,000 to the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation which charity has been established following the death of Andrew (Bart) Simpson on an AC72 in San Francisco in May 2013, for the purpose of assisting young people to get involved in sailing through mentoring and support. (B) US$125,000 payable to a section 501c(3) charitable organisation selected by the Mayor of San Francisco to provide support to at-risk youth in the San Francisco Bay area.
Individuals (Rule 69):
Decisions On Penalties
Bryce Ruthenberg is excluded from further participation in any role in the 34th America's Cup. RRSAC rule 69.1 requires the Jury to inform his National Authority (Australian Yachting Federation) and the International Sailing Federation, which bodies may impose further penalties; however, in view of his full, frank and early admissions, the Jury will recommend that no further action be taken.
Andrew Walker is excluded from further participation in any role in the 34th America's Cup. RRSAC rule 69.1 requires the Jury to inform his National Authority (Yachting New Zealand) and the International Sailing Federation, which bodies may impose further penalties.
Kyle Langford In light of his age and inexperience in an America's Cup environment, the fact that he had no involvement in the work done and his truthfulness during the hearing, together with his sincere efforts to acquaint himself with the Class Rules since the matter came to light, Kyle Langford is warned to use his best endeavours not to be involved with any activity that may be in breach of a rule in the future. The Jury is not required to make a report to any federation.
Matt Mitchell is excluded from sailing on a Yacht competing in the Match for the 34th America's Cup until 4 races have been completed. RRSAC Rule 69.1 requires the Jury to inform his National Authority (Yachting New Zealand) and the International Sailing Federation, which bodies may impose further penalties; however, the Jury will recommend that no further action be taken.
Dirk de Ridder is excluded from further participation in any role in the 34th America's Cup. RRSAC Rule 69.1 requires the Jury to inform his National Authority (Koninklijk Nederlands Watersport Verbond) and the International Sailing Federation, which bodies may impose further penalties.
The full International Jury decision can be found under Jury Notices on the America's Cup Official Race Noticeboard: noticeboard.americascup.com/jury/jury-notices/
Oracle's Response:
Today, the America's Cup Jury announced that one Team USA sailor, our primary wing trimmer, and two shore crew have been excluded from further participation in the 34th America's Cup. This penalty was assessed because of a rules breach occurring in early 2012, well over a year ago, involving modifications to the team's AC45 yachts, not the larger AC72 yachts that will be used in the America's Cup.
The Jury has also penalized the team by deducting two races from Team USA in upcoming the 34th America's Cup. That means Team USA will have to win 11 races to win the America's Cup while Team New Zealand will only have to win nine races.
"The rules infractions involved only a few of our 130 team members, and were done without the knowledge of either our team's management or the skippers who were driving the boats," said team CEO Russell Coutts. "While we disagree with the unprecedented penalties imposed by the Jury, we have no choice but to make the necessary changes to personnel on our race boat and do our best to use the next four days for the new team to practice and get ready for the start of the 34th America's Cup."
The Fish Is Not Impressed
The man regarded as "the America's Cup authority" has launched a scathing attack on the current regatta, labelling it the biggest mess since 1988's big boat fiasco, believing catamarans have no place in the event and hoping Team New Zealand can win to return some normality to sport's oldest contest.
England's Bob Fisher is covering his 15th America's Cup and while the world's yachting media gathered in San Francisco awaiting the "puff of white smoke" to signal a decision from the jury over the latest scandal to hit the storied event, he was willing to air his frustration to Fairfax New Zealand.
Fisher is writing the third volume of his historical America's Cup book "An Absorbing Contest" though he concedes this event may provide better copy for his next tome, "The Poisoned Chalice" which chronicles the dirty tricks of the Cup and is going to be subtitled "The Fascination of Sin".
Fisher has endured a long eight weeks in San Francisco and has little to enthuse about what has slowly unfolded.
''I don't think there has been one quite as messy as this since 1988 when the Kiwis big boat was tackled by Dennis Conner's catamaran. That was a waste of money on all parts, certainly there was no 'racing'.
"I'm a catamaran enthusiast; I think they are great boats but they are no use to the America's Cup," Fisher said.
"There is no way you can get match racing as you need to have in these boats. They are speed machines - but that's not what the Cup is about. The Cup is about duelling to a certain extent.
"This isn't yacht racing; this is display racing for television. It was made for television and declared made for television.
Fisher believes the best thing that could happen now is a Kiwi victory.
"I'm hoping to hell Team New Zealand wins, I really am. Get it out of here and the regime they are under."
Read the full article at Stuff.co.nz: www.stuff.co.nz
Marinepool Supports Youth Teams In San Francisco
Marinepool is partner of some of the fastest racing yachts on the planet. Maxi Tri Spindrift 2 and the MOD70 yachts Oman Air-Musandam and Spindrift are among them. And so are two teams in the Red Bull Youth America's Cup where Marinepool is proud supplier of the French (Next World Energy) and Portuguese (ROFF Cascais) teams.
They all trust in Marinepool performance sailing clothing, life jackets and team gear. And for a good reason.
With more than 22 years experience and design expertise, highly functional sailing clothing is one of the core competencies of Marinepool.
Before and during production, no detail is omitted and only the best materials and state of the art production technologies are utilized to ensure every product is optimized before it reaches the market.
In addition Marinepool focuses also on post-production services and particularly on customized team wear. Post-production branding is paramount for professional teams and the ambitious amateur crew alike. Marinepool provides branding services on both, performance sailing clothing - always maintaining its technical qualities - but also on technical fashion and casual lifestyle clothing.
As the official clothing supplier of world-class teams and events in sailing and powerboating Marinepool has vast experience and offers top notch quality for branded gear. Performance where it counts, durable in all wind and weather conditions.
Yet another strength of the brand are special productions for events, event series and teams where Marinepool - due to a vertically integrated organization from design to production and distribution - is able to offer a service second to none. Specially developed collections for the Extreme Sailing Series ( www.extremesailingseries.com ) or the Sailing Team Germany fan collection launched at 2013 Kiel Week ( www.stg-store.de ) are just a few examples.
Turn to Marinepool for your team or event wear!
Rohart-Pulfer Win Race 3 and Ledbetter-Morton Take The Lead
San Diego, California, USA: Morning fog, wind shifts and light conditions under a wonderful sun characterized the third day in Qualcomm 2013 Star World Championship.
After a difficult race 3, preliminary overall results show several position changes in the fleet.
French Star team Xavier Rohart and Serge Pulfer won the most difficult race the fleet has sailed so far in the series. Rohart and Pulfer battled through several large wind shifts and inconsistent pressure thoughout the race and took the lead of the fleet on the final leg of the 10 mile race.
Race 3 of the Qualcomm 2013 Star World Championship put the Race Committee and the Star sailors' skills to the test. The Race Committee was challenged with the difficult task of setting a square line and course in the very unsettled westerly breeze. Race 3 was postponed at 1220 hrs and the first warning signal of the day was not fired until 1340 hrs.
The eager fleet was aggressive on the starting line and with the majority of the boats over early, regatta PRO Bill Stump ordered a general recall. Following the general recall, Stump squared the starting line better to the breeze in preparation for the next start. Shortly thereafter the Race Committee began a second starting sequence and the fleet was once again too aggressive and drew another general recall prompting a black flag.
Finally, the third attempt to start race 3 was successful. The fleet was all clear off the line and headed for the windward mark in a very light and spotty breeze. Throughout the rest of the race, the Race Committee continued to monitor the unstable wind and made every necessary adjustment to ensure the sailors had a fair race.
Provisional results after 3 races:
1. B. Ledbetter-G. Morton, USA, 13 points
2. J. MacCausland-P. Trinter, USA, 15
3. G. Szabo-C. Moss, USA, 17
4. X. Rohart-S. Pulfer, FRA, 23
5. J.P. Chatagny-P. Ducommun, SUI, 40
6. C. Buchan-J. Buchan, USA, 42
7. A. Campbell-J. von Schwarz, USA, 44
8. E. Doyle-P. Infelise, USA, 44
9. B. Cramer-C. Lymburner, CAN, 45
10. S. Fleckenstein-R. Mulder, CAN, 47
Mini : The Largest Of The Transats
84 competitors are registered and have met the full requirements of the organiser and the Mini class. From the semi-professional racer to the businessman on leave and with competitors from nearly every continent, the entry list presents an incredible diversity. The Mini Transat is a race like no other.
At the moment a dozen navigators still remain on the waiting list eager to find out if they will have the chance to race. Among the final list of entries, there are several who not to have yet confirmed their full funding and on the deadline of September 13, all registration fees (2000 €) must be paid to the organiser. It is therefore likely that the list is still evolving over the next two weeks, after a few withdrawals of candidates who do not have the means to start.
There are 32 foreigners, from Estonia to Australia, who will come to the start.
As always, there are those for whom the Mini Transat is a springboard for a career in professional sailing. Latest to have qualified as a result of their participation in the Transgascogne is Nicolas Boidevezi, the brilliant winner of the Les Sables - Azores - Les Sables in 2012, and Julien Pulve who, despite a late entry, intends to shake up the hierarchy of favourites.
But others swap their civilian clothes for foul weather gear. Louis Mauffret, Sales Manager of Chantiers du Guip, steps over with some ease from the world of traditional boats, while in the prototypes Yann Le Pautremat abandons his work as a dentist to cross the ocean. David Genest, meanwhile, works as a steeplejack in Paris. He spends his time climbing the facades of buildings for maintenance, or for any mission that requires specialists climbing and rope access skills.
While the competitors are putting the final touches to their preparation, the town of Douarnenez is being mobilized for a wonderful celebration. The 84 boats will be moored from 3 to 13 October 2013 in Port Rhu at the foot of the Place de l'Enfer so that the public can benefit from this arena to open sea where they can admire the fleet.
Dates
Prologue October 6, 2013.
Start from Douarnenez October 13, 2013 at 13h. Arrival in the Canary Islands between 23 and 26 October 2013.
Start from Canary Islands November 9, 2013. Arrival in Guadeloupe between 23 and 30 November 2013.
Astrid To Be Salvaged
The Irish Coast Guard has given approval for a salvage operation on the wreck of the tall ship Astrid off Kinsale, according to The Irish Times.
Afloat.ie reported more than a month ago on the major rescue operation involving the 42ft sail training vessel after it hit rocks inside the Sovereign Islands at Ballymacus Point and began taking on water.
All of the vessel's 30-strong crew were brought to safety in a rescue effort that involved four RNLI lifeboats.
Since the incident on 24 July, an exclusion zone was set up around the wreck site as an investigation as to how the Dutch brig came to run aground, and discussions were entered into as to the possibility of salvaging the vessel.
The start date and timescale have not yet been finalised, but it's expected the project would take up to two weeks, weather permitting, once under way.
afloat.ie/sail/tall-ships/item/23124-astrid-salvage-operation-gets-coastguard-approval
More in the Irish Times: www.irishtimes.com
Seahorse October 2013
What's in the Latest Edition Of Seahorse Magazine
Making it pay
Extracting maximum value from that Volvo Ocean Race campaign. Richard Brisius, Sam Dulka And Kevin Fylan
Fast and fun... the 52 way
With a new TP52 rule in the offing for 2015 Rob Weiland celebrates having as many as five brand new builds in the pipeline
Building (two) better Mini Maxis
Those raceboat builds are getting rolling once again. Marcello Persico
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Consistency Counts
Porto Cervo, Italy: Light conditions continue to characterize the 24th Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. For day 2 of racing and under a consistent 6-8 knot breeze, the Race Committee organized two short but testing windward/leeward races for the Mini Maxis and Wally classes while the remainder of the 37-strong fleet contested a 25-nm coastal course.
Today's winners were: Shockwave (USA) with a first and a third in the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship; Velsheda (GBR) in J-Class; Highland Fling (MON) in Maxi Racing; Altair (ITA) in Maxi Racing/Cruising; Nilaya (GBR) in Supermaxi while J-One (GBR) and Magic Carpet 3 (GBR) both scored a win and a second in Wally.
Class leaders are: Alegre (GBR) in the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship; Velsheda in J-Class; Highland Fling in Maxi; Altair in Maxi Racing/Cruising; Nilaya in Supermaxi and J-One in Wally.
In the Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship, Alegre showed signs of her impressive performance in yesterday's coastal race, recording victory in the second windward/leeward race after a less welcome fifth in the first. Shockwave was the most consistent performer of the day, winning the first race and registering a third place in the second. Just two points separate three 72-ft Mini Maxis: Alegre, Shockwave and two-time champion Ran 2.
In the other classes, yesterday's winners became leaders by repeating their first day performances. Tomorrow is a lay day at the 2013 Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup. Racing resumes on Thursday 5 September.
Provisional Results Day 2
Position, Boat Name, Boat Owner, Races- Total Points
Mini Maxi Rolex World Championship
1. Alegre (GBR), Andy Soriano, 1.5–5–1; 7.5
2. Shockwave (USA), George Sakellaris 4.5–1–3; 8.5
3. Ran 2 (GBR), Niklas Zennstrom 3-4-2; 9
Maxi Racing
1. Highland Fling (MON), Irvine Laidlaw, 1–1; 2
2. Morning Glory (GER), Hasso Plattner, 2-2; 4
3. Aegir (GBR), Brian Benjamin, 5–3; 8
Maxi Racer / Cruiser
1. Altair (ITA), Paolo Scerni / Roberto Tomasini, 1-1; 2
2. Nefertiti (GBR), Anders Nordquist, 2-2; 4
3. Windfall (RSA), Southern Wind Shipyard, 4-3; 7
J-Class
1. Velsheda (GBR), Tarbat Investment Ltd, 1-1; 2
2. Rainbow (NED), Chris Gongriep, 2-2; 4
3. Ranger (CAY), Rsv Ltd. ; 3–3; 6
Supermaxi
1. Nilaya (GBR), Filip Balcaen, 1-1; 2
2. Firefly (NED), Eric Bijlsma, 2-2; 4
3. Only Now (TUR), Chelsea Yachting Ltd., 3-3; 6
Wally
1. J One (GBR), Jean Charles Decaux, 1–2-1; 4
2. Magic Carpet 3 (GBR), Sir Lindsey Owen Jones, 6–1–2; 9
3. Inti (ITA), Lauro Buoro, 3–6-3; 12
Ineos Continue Solent Circuit Sponsorship
Lymington Town Sailing Club (LTSC) is delighted to announce the continued support of global chemicals producer INEOS as headline sponsor of the Club's flagship keel boat series, The Solent Circuit. This will be the eighth year they have sponsored the event.
The 2013 Solent Circuit will take place over seven Sundays commencing on the 13th October, with the grand finale on 24th November. There are individual starts for IRC, Lymington Handicap classes, Folkboats and RS Elites.
The Solent Circuit is now in its 42nd year and is the West Solent's annual 'must do' autumn series for keelboats. With around 70 boats taking part across the various classes, racing takes place in the western Solent with a mixture of 'Round the Cans' and windward/leeward courses, adding variety as well as challenging the competitors.
The Notice of Race for this year's Solent Circuit will soon be available and further details can be found on the LTSC website.
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