America's Cup - Racing expected to proceed on Day 4 of Match + Video

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 25 Jun 2017 The breeze is up, at maybe the same strength as yesterday on Bermuda's Great Sound, and racing is expected to get under way on time.

Two races are scheduled to be sailed with Race 7 probably being the crucial one for both teams.

If Emirates Team New Zealand win, it will be their sixth win of the Match, and while it will only get them onto five points, it should be sufficient to tip the balance the Kiwi's way.

If Oracle Team USA is able to pull another win in Race 7, that sets them up to get within a long reach of the Challengers and will probably start the US team on another Comeback roll.

The forecast is much the same as yesterday's 8-12kts at race start time at 2.12pm, increasing to 9-12kts over the next hour, and then easing back to 8-12kts if the boats are still racing at 4.00pm.

Only two races will be sailed today, and when questioned again at this morning's media conference, Race Director, Iain Murray said he was conferring with the Commercial Commissioner, Sam Hollis, who in turn was conversing with the TV broadcasters and others over the option of going to a third race.

They had all spoken last night and elected not to change the schedule today.

The contentious 'dial-down' for which Oracle Team USA was penalised yesterday in Race 5 - their second of the race after being over the start line by 1.5secs - was traversed again at today's media conference by Chief Umpire Richard Slater.

He said that the umpires had visited both teams this morning and explained the situation to them.

Contrary to the views expressed at yesterday's Media Conference by Jimmy Spithill, Richard Slater said the decision was a correct one. 'We have seen Oracle take much sharper avoiding action previously in this regatta,' he said, with the implication that Oracle didn't do enough, soon enough.

With the boats at a closing speed of over 50kts, Emirates Team New Zealand had (justified) apprehension that a collision could have occurred had they not taken avoiding action as required under RRS 14 They had to alter course, as the right of way yacht, three seconds before impact.

Slater said that he and Spithill still didn't see eye to eye over the ruling. But the point is that had Burling not taken the action that he did, and a serious collision occurred, then The New Zealanders would have had no rights under the Redress rule, and would have missed the next race, and only had the ability to effect repairs overnight.

Oracle Team USA, would probably have also missed the next race, but as Defender can bring a second AC50 into play, by bolting a new set of bows, 'Made in the USA' onto the front of Softbank Team Japan's AC50 (also constructed by Core Builders Composites facility in Warkworth, north of Auckland, NZ) and would have been ready to race the next day.

Slater dismissed Spithill's claims of the umpires being soft on New Zealand as just 'Press Conference banter'.

Further to claims by Jimmy Spithill and others that Oracle Team USA had sent their AC50 to the America's Cup equivalent of 'Weight-Watchers' during the five-day break in racing, between Races 4 and 5, Murray confirmed that the AC50's had to weigh in within a band of 100kgs, i.e., between 2340kgs and 2440kgs, plus the 180kg standard weight event organiser supplied communication gear.

OTUSA is believed to have removed the 'BMX' cycle grinding position at the rear of the AC50 cockpit and some other small items a such as fairing, to get to the minimum weight.

The changes are all geared to try and bring their light airs performance closer to the Kiwis, but with trade-offs being made which could offset the weight gains, which in that condition will mean the AC50 can foil earlier.

Both teams were out this morning, training as is their usual practice.