America's Cup- Iain Murray appointed as Regatta Director again

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com on 19 Dec 2014 The America's Cup Competitor Forum, comprising the six teams registered for the 2017 America’s Cup, has appointed Iain Murray as Regatta Director. Murray is a former America’s Cup skipper who also served as Regatta Director in the last America’s Cup.

The appointment was tipped a month ago in Sail-World.com. Under the Protocol for the 35th America's Cup, the appointment has to be approved by the majority of the competitors.

Murray started in his role as of December 1 and has already been meeting with the teams as well as Commercial Commissioner Harvey Schiller via regular Competitor Forum conference calls, says a media statement from America's Cup Events Authority.

Since his last time in the Regatta Director's seat, Iain Murray was Commodore and a lead negotiator for the Hamilton Island Yacht Club. He was heavily involved in the development of the document and some of its then controversial provisions.

Hamilton Island Yacht Club decided not to continue as Challenger of Record, in last July, ahead of an August 8 deadline for it to confirm its entry.

Reasons for the withdrawal were believed to be primarily financial, with sponsorship not readily forthcoming, coupled with many of the competitors having to wage joint America's Cup and Olympic campaigns.

Murray says he sees his appointment to a second term as Regatta Director as an opportunity to advance the America’s Cup forward beyond what was achieved last time.

'Leading into the last America’s Cup, there were so many major changes and collectively we learned so much about how to design, build and race these foiling multihulls,' Murray said. 'Now we have the chance to fine-tune and make adjustments to make it even better.

'Whether it’s the conversion to foiling AC45s for the America’s Cup World Series, the new AC62s, the spectator experience, or the safety mechanisms - last time we really had to find our way. This time we have a template to work from and I expect we’ll see improvements across the board.'

In his role as Regatta Director, Murray will work in collaboration with all of the teams as well as Commercial Commissioner Harvey Schiller in setting the competitive parameters for the event.

Murray is required to nominate Regatta Officials, including a Measurement Committee and Umpires, as well as administer the Regatta Officials Fund to a budget agreed by the competitors. Each team contributes in equal measure to the Fund, initially through their entry fees.

'I’ve already seen a strong spirit of cooperation between the teams,' Murray said. 'We’re focused on getting ready for the first America’s Cup World Series events in the new foiling versions of the AC45s, as well as pulling together a measurement committee and finalizing some details about the AC62. Everybody is contributing and the process is working well.'

One of Murray's tasks under the Protocol is to sort out the estranged relationship between the International Sailing Federation and the America's Cup Defender Golden Gate Yacht Club and its commercial arm, America's Cup Events Authority. One of the issues is the intention of the Club to dispense with an ISAF appointed Jury and run its own adjudication operation using a Chairman who is also a Court for Arbitration for Sport arbitrator. Such a move is in direct conflict with ISAF Racing Rules and Regulations.

The role of the world body has been completely marginalised in the latest Protocol, again contrary to ISAF's Regulations.

In mid December the Court for Arbitration for Sport ruled in favour of the International Jury for the last America's Cup, and the International Sailing Federation over their decision to find against a team member for his part in measurement irregularities in respect of the America's Cup World Series.

CAS did reduce the suspension imposed on the team member, Dirk de Ridder (NED) and was critical of some aspects of the process at which the ISAF parties followed in making their decision. Oracle Team USA, the Defender were also fined $250,000 for the offences, and deducted two competition points in the America's Cup match itself.

Unless the matters are resolved to the satisfaction of both bodies, the ISAF has the ability to declare the America's Cup and unsanctioned event and suspend the eligibility of anyone taking part in a rogue event. It would preclude anyone sailing in the 2017 America's Cup and 2016 Olympics and any other event conducted under the ISAF's wide auspices.

A skiff sailing prodigy, Iain Murray is one of the few people to have won 12ft Interdominion and 18ft skiff World titles in boats that he has designed, built and sailed himself - and did so while still a teenager.

After winning six consecutive World titles in the 18ft skiff class he moved into bigger yacht design and began an America's Cup involvement going back to 1983, including being skipper of the unsuccessful Defender Kookaburra IV, in the 1987 America's Cup in Fremantle. His famous quip in late in that regatta when a police boat came alongside to tell the crew that they had been advised that there was a bomb aboard was: 'what is the bad news?'

Murray has competed in two Olympic Regattas in the Star keelboat class. He still retains a strong design involvement, having kept the Oatley families Wild Oats XI competitive for over a decade in the Rolex Sydney Hobart race, and she will start again as line honours favourite in this year's event. Murray also has a strong involvement with Gotta Love It 7, which has won three consecutive World 18ft titles and is the current Event website