America's Cup - Beyond the Round Robins - Defender's options

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com/NZL on 31 May 2017 America's Cup Race Director Iain Murray was quizzed on the options for the Defender, Oracle Team USA once they exit the Qualifiers, and the Challengers participate in the Playoffs.

'In the Protocol, there is a section called the Defender Access Period,' explained Murray.

'The Defender has the right to use the course, which goes back to the 2007 America's Cup in Valencia.'

Murray explained that the Defender has equal opportunity on the Race Course area as the Challenger(s).

The interesting point is whether Oracle Team USA will sail on the allocated area alone, or whether they will invite other Challengers to sail against them.

If the latter it will raise the old bogey of the Challengers not assisting the Defender to retain the America's Cup.

In this America's Cup more than any other there has been a high degree of co-operation with the Defender, particularly in conjunction with Softbank Team Japan who freely admit they would not be competing in this America's Cup without the relationship they have with Oracle Team USA and their shared resources.

Core Builders Composites, in Warkworth, an hour north of Auckland in New Zealand built both the AC50's for Softbank Team Japan and Oracle Team USA.

Under the Protocol which governs the 35th America's Cup, the Defender was given the right to build and sail a second AC50 which had some restrictions on when she could have been launched and sailed.

However the clear intention was that Oracle Team USA's second AC50 could be used as a trial horse during the Playoff Period and indeed to tune up before the racing each day, and during the five-day time out period which occurs after the first two days of racing in the America's Cup Match which begins in just over two weeks on June 17, 2017.

The decision was taken last year to not build a second AC50. The partnership between Oracle Team USA and Softbank Team Japan gave the Defender a much longer work up period than had they launched a second AC50.

The second AC50 could only be launched 30 days before the start of the Qualifiers, or around April 26, while the relationship with Softbank Team Japan extended back to the launch of the AC50's in mid to late February, plus design co-operation for a longer period than that.

As well Softbank Team Japan had the use of an AC45 Surrogate from Oracle Team USA and the Japanese test platform.

Currently, Softbank Team Japan is one of three 'Cellar Dwellers' on two points in the Qualifiers.

The team's moves will be watched with interest depending on whether they make the cut for the Playoffs, or if they exit the regatta without going through to be the Challenger in the Match.

On the other hand if they emerge from the Qualification process as the Challenger, Emirates Team New Zealand, because of their position as the 'Lone Wolf' at this regatta - because they have not signed the so-called 'Framework' which governs the conduct of the next two America's Cups, could well be left without a training partner.

The irony of the situation is that Emirates Team New Zealand could be working alone, while Oracle Team USA has the assistance of one or more of the Challengers to beat the Kiwis.