Alinghi steers America's Cup away from the abyss

by Richard Gladwell on 2 Nov 2007
Literally an 11th hour decision to make a public release of the America's Cup class rule, by Defenders Alinghi, has steered the 33rd America's Cup away from a terminal condition.

The announcement in the late evening of the 31st October caught the many of the international media napping, as for two days previously, clear signals had been made by America's Cup Management chief, Michel Hodara, that only 'entered and accepted competitors' would receive a full copy of the AC90 Rule.

Then, media sources in Europe told Sail-World, that they were advised by ACM around 9.00pm on the 31st that the full version of the AC90 rule would be released within the deadline of the 31st October, previously stated by ACM.

Sail-World received its release from ACM at 11.15am NZT or 11.15pm in Valencia.

It is understood that a change of heart occurred within ACM and Alinghi on the 31st October which resulted in the full copy of the rule being released to all.

The move steered the delicately poised America's Cup away from the abyss, into which it would surely have plunged, had Alinghi and ACM continued with their original plans.

Currently three major, and well-performed, teams from the 2007 America's Cup - BMW Oracle Racing, Mascalzone Latino and Victory Challenge have not entered the 2009 event, and have been excluded from consultations over the new class rule for the 90ft yacht to be used in the 2009 event.

Had Alinghi pursued their original intention then this group would have been marginalised completely, and the six teams who had committed to the 33rd America's Cup would have enjoyed a design and knowledge jump which would have created a major, and probably irrecoverable issue.

That original move would have dug BMW Oracle Racing into a position where they would have waited for a favourable decision from Justice Herman Cahn, from the New York Supreme Court, and then taken a very hard negotiation stance with Alinghi and ACM.

The only outcome of that negotiation which would have satisfied the concerns of the marginalised Challengers, would have been for the 33rd America's Cup to be completely reset, with all the work done to date to be set aside - so they were confident they were starting from the basis of equality with the Defender and the entered Challengers.

The announcement of the AC90 Rule means that all can proceed from this point on a common basis, however there remains some suspicion about how much the rule actually changed with the issuance of subsequent drafts (of which Sail-World understands from various sources, that there were at least 10 drafts considered in the six week period).

The Challengers were given a displacement range of 23-27,000kgs from which to select a measurement, which it was claimed would effectively zero-base and preliminary design work down to date.

Of course knowing that the rule was a box rule (allowing a free shaped hull form within length beam and rig parameters) would have just allowed designers to run multiple permutations of design options in computer simulation, and help develop their understanding of the way in which various displacements affected beam etc, within the length and draft that were announced on 05 July as part of the 33rd Protocol announcement.

The key question in the new class rule is whether the boats will be of a narrow beamed type as happened under the ACC V5 rule - where the maximum beam specified in the rule was irrelevant, as could be seen from the measurement certificate submitted for ESP-97 (Desafio Espanol) where the beam was 4.1 metres against a class maximum of 4.5metres.

With a boat at the light end of the displacement range, designers could be keen to test via computer simulation as to whether there was any advantage in using form stability to complement the high righting moments offered by the 6.5metres of draft afforded by the new rule.

Knowledge that there was no girth measurements to be met would have allowed the designers minds to roam over the design territory from Frank and Julian Bethwaite and their development of so-called 'humpless hulls' which they developed in the 49er and 29er classes, and which are markedly superior in a planing hull. However that work has not been extended into a supermaxi type, due to the measurement requirements of existing rules outside America's Cup confines.

In the last few days Sail-World has detected a new cordiality between the estranged parties, however even so there still remains some very rough ground to be traversed before the matter is resolved.

Open and equal knowledge of the AC90 Rule is one of the foundation points of the marginalised Challengers. Others are thought to lie in the areas of Mutual Consent on all matters germane to the 33rd America's Cup - where ACM now holds all final decision making ability and at best is required to just consult with the Challenger of Record.

Unlike previous Protocols, the 33rd edition did not contain Competition and Event Regulations and these are to be developed by ACM, who are required to consult with the Challenger of Record only, and on a confidential basis. Clearly that type of power will either have to change, ACM will have to convince the Challengers, both entered and marginalised that they are prepared operate a form of benign dictatorship.

The moves by ACM, on Thursday, may have been the first tentative steps down this new path.