Jury Grants GBR Redress
Source: www.lvcup.com
November 1, 2002

The International Jury has ordered GBR’s match against Alinghi to be re-sailed.

Alinghi and GBR Challenge had a good start, but a questionable race.

The International Jury last night agreed with GBR Challenge’s request for redress in its Flight 5 match against Alinghi Team. Sailing on Course Juliet on 30 October, GBR-Alinghi was the second match, Match 4 on the day, behind OneWorld versus Team Dennis Conner.

GBR Challenge’s Wight Lightning, GBR-70, lost to Alinghi’s SUI-64 by 7:45 in a light and fluky race. The OneWorld-Team DC match was abandoned when the 45-minute leg time limit expired on the run to the finish.

Both Team Dennis Conner and OneWorld flew red protest flags during their match as did GBR Challenge. The British later protested the race committee claiming that her finishing place was made significantly worse through no fault of her own due to improper actions of the Race Committee.

“GBR Challenge requests redress under Rule 62.1 on the basis that the Race Committee made manifest errors in procedure running Flight 5, Matches 3 and 4 in Round Robin 2 on Juliet Course, whose cumulative effect was that it is not just possible, but likely in the prevailing conditions our finishing position was affected and such that the race was not a ‘true test of the relative speed of the two yachts’,” said GBR skipper Ian Walker.

The jury found that the course axis for the first leg was 230 degrees. In response to a change of wind direction, the Race Committee signalled a change of course to 100 degrees for Leg 2. That change would have placed the leeward mark substantially outside the Racing Area specified in Condition 7.11. The Race Committee set the course at a shorter distance, but still outside the Racing Area.

The length for Legs 2 and 3 was 2.65 nautical miles, and the total course length was 11.8 nautical miles. These lengths did not comply with Condition 11.3, which states that Course B shall be 12.5 nautical miles in length. It shall be a windward-leeward format with the first leg to windward of 3.25 nautical miles, thereafter two leeward-windward legs of 3.00 NM, and a final leeward leg of 3.25 NM.

While the boats were on Leg 3, the wind shifted further. The Race Committee wanted to change the course for Leg 4, but was unable to do so.

Alinghi completed Leg 4 in 43 minutes and 20 seconds, in very light air without gybing. Condition 16.2 specifies a 45 minute time limit for each leg.

Failing to comply with Conditions 7.1 and 11.3 constrained the Race Committee from setting the final leg to the appropriate axis. Had the Race Committee set the course to the appropriate axis, Alinghi would have had to gybe and sail a greater distance to complete the final leg.

The Jury is satisfied that Alinghi would not have completed the leg within the 45-minute time limit. In that event the Race Committee would have been required to abandon and re-sail the race.

Therefore GBR’s finishing place was made significantly worse through no fault of her own due to improper actions by the Race Committee, and is entitled to redress.

The Jury directs the Race Committee to re-sail the match.

“We feel that the results weren't affected by the change in course but obviously we have to abide by the Race Committee’s decision,” said Alinghi tactician Brad Butterworth. “This means we will re-race GBR Challenge (tentatively) on Saturday and we will be happy to meet them on the racecourse again.”

Note 1 – Condition 7.1: ‘The Racing Area will be the area of the inner Hauraki Gulf bounded by Whangaparaoa Peninsula, the East Coast Bays from Weiti River to Takapuna Beach, Rangitoto, Motutapu and Rakino Islands, the Noises, and an imaginary line from the Ahaaha Rocks to 36 degrees 36 minutes South Latitude, 174 degrees 59 minutes East Longitude to the southern tip of Tiritiri Matangi Island.’