Banter between Stephen Barclay and New Zealand Herold

37 Safety Recommendations=37 New Rules

"The 37 safety recommendations involve Protocol changes, Class Rule changes (the design parameters for the boats), and Racing Rules of Sailing changes (how the races will be conducted). The Regatta Director had received verbal commitment to the safety recommendations, however, when he asked for teams to sign off on each of the changes in writing, a couple of the teams refused."

"Working together to run a safe event, GGYC, ACEA and America’s Cup Race Management (ACRM) submitted the Marine Permit Application with all 37 safety recommendations attached. Assuming the permit is issued, the Competitors will be required to comply with the safety recommendations because they will have become regulations of the event – Art. 16."

All of this smells like it's headed to court...

Mike

It always does. It's a pity.

My guess is that the sailors will buy into the new program without the smelly litigations. How the corporations react to them may become a worthy note, but if the OA and the sailors vote them in by practice, 'nuf said. :-)

Bert, I somewhat agree with you. These platforms were designed and optimized from scratch for the prescribed wind range. To change that at the 12th hour is the problem, and unfortunate due to the Artemis Simpson tragedy. All the teams are just jockeying for their ideal wind speed. But who really knows if the CG said guys if you want your permit, you need to drop the upper wind limit. Hum.

Here's some new info from Artemis, well, more old and expected anyway, but news just the same from the their camp . . .
These guys really do need some TOW.
Outteridge will helm Artemis Racing boat in Louis Vuitton Cup

"What this means is that contrary to what Barclay is telling the teams and the world, they had better agree during the mediation or there is not going to be an AC34.

Apparently, somebody is running around claiming that section 16 of the Protocol, which requires compliance with governmental laws and regulations, gives the IJ the power to alter the Protocol and Rules on the basis of safety. That is a laugher. It does not pass the straight face test."

http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2...20Newsletter&utm_term=Read%20on#more

Cool boat, seems to foil pretty stable as well.
Would be interesting to see how does in the waves.

Read somewhere that their budget for their 'C' class campaign is €2m.

Here are a couple of videos I shot this afternoon while spectating from Cressy Field

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cobx2GjXaCk

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zY5NuPNGjw&feature=youtu.be

And one more - ETNZ pulling off a foiling gybe

http://youtu.be/mYaZhCcIiBs

Nice vids Mike.
If the video is any indication, I really hope Oracle is sandbagging.

I think both Oracle and ETNZ are holding back. Neither team wants to disclose how fast they really can go. I watched a lot of dial up maneuvers yesterday. Both teams were doing drills where they parked, turned down, and either hooked up or pealed away into a gybe and run. Lots of typical match race per-start drills.

Next week we will see both Oracle a boats on the bay training against each other. Lots of action on the with Oracle 1 & 2, ETNZ, Luna Rossi, and the Artemis AC45 all on the same body of water.

Too bad I'm writing this on my flight home...

More video of a beautifully executed foiling gybe.

Soap Opera AC style

Funny, its the exact same gybe just from a slightly different angle from than the one Mike shot.

Indeed it is. There are a couple more foiling gybes in the 20 minute video that the same author posted a couple weeks ago. Rule 47.3 will apply during the gybes and they look like they are well within the time limit. ETNZ has improved from 17 seconds to 11 seconds regarding the boards. Oracle looks like they're still working to perfect the foiling gybe. Could be a game changer if the racing is tight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfdPZWgN0Qc

More on the Safety Mediation.
http://www.americascup.com/en/news/...ogress-but-ends-without-final-resolution

http://www.sail-world.com/USA/Ameri...issues-unresolved-and-undisclosed/111131

Barclay and Gladwell exchange barbs.

Battling with the press, particularly at an individual level, is probably not in the best interest of the America's Cup organizers. They don't control the outflow of information...they're better off releasing generic non-pointing press releases making clarifications and staying out of the mud. Gladwell usually has his stuff together too and going toe to toe with him probably isn't going to accomplish much. Strange behavior.