America's Cup Umpire team announced

by ISAF on 26 Jan 2010
The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) today announced the Umpire team who will officiate the races on the water of the 33rd America's Cup Match.

The 33rd America's Cup Match is scheduled to be held in Valencia, Spain in February 2010 between the Société Nautique Genève of Switzerland and the Golden Gate Yacht Club of the USA. The best-of-three race Match is scheduled to commence on 8 February.

The Umpire team for the 33rd America's Cup will follow the racing on the water and immediately adjudicate in a racing rule infringement raised by one of the teams. The role of the Umpires during the race and their consistent application of The Racing Rules of Sailing is of crucial importance.

The four-person International Umpire Team will be:

Bill Edgerton (GBR) - Chief Umpire

Bill has been an ISAF International Umpire since 1997 and an ISAF International Judge since 2001. He was an Umpire at both the 2007 and 2000 America's Cup.

Bill grew up and started sailing in Sydney, Australia, before moving to Great Britain where his focus turned to coaching and umpiring. He was National Keelboat Coach for Britain at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games and during this time also became increasingly involved in Umpiring at the top level, becoming an ISAF International Umpire in 1997. He now splits his time between his farm in France and officiating at the top sailing events around the world.

Bill has been a Chief Umpire on the World Match Racing Tour, the annual series which decides the winner of the ISAF Match Racing World Championship, since 2006 and last year was appointed as the Tour Umpire responsible for overseeing the umpiring across all nine of the annual World Tour events. In addition he has been heavily involved with the Volvo Ocean Race, acted as an Umpire at editions of ISAF Match Racing World Championship from 1999-2005 and as Chief Umpire at the 2007 ISAF Women's Match Racing World Championship, 2008 iShares Cup and at the Auckland and Nice editions of the Louis Vuitton Trophy.

Gerard Bosse (FRA)

Gerard has been an ISAF International Umpire since 1990 and an ISAF International Judge since 1989. He was a member of the International Jury at the 1992 America's Cup and has been an Umpire at 1992, 1995, 2000, 2003 and 2007 Cups.

Now retired, Gerard was formerly the National Sailing Training Centre Director for the French Sports Ministry. As well as his involved with the America's Cup, Gerard was a member of both the International Jury and the Umpire team at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games. He was Chief Umpire at the 1999 and 2005 ISAF Match Racing World Championship.

John Standley (AUS)

John has been an ISAF International Umpire since 1997 and an ISAF International Judge since 1999. He was a member of the International Jury and Umpire team at the 2000 and 2003 America's Cup and was an Umpire throughout the entire 32nd America's Cup cycle, including the Louis Vuitton Acts, Louis Vuitton Cup and 32nd America's Cup Match.

A construction manager based in Perth, Australia, John has acted on the Umpire teams and International Juries across a wide-range of the sailing world's top events. This includes the World Match Racing Tour (appointments as both Umpire and Chief Umpire), the ISAF Match Racing World Championship, the Louis Vuitton Trophy, the ISAF Team Racing World Championship, the Volvo Ocean Race and the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship.

Roger Wood (NZL)

Roger has been an ISAF International Umpire since 2003. He was a member of the Umpire team at the 2007 Louis Vuttion Cup and 32nd America's Cup Match in Valencia.

A member of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, Roger has been Chief Umpire at numerous top match racing events in New Zealand. He has been an Umpire on the World Match Racing Tour since 2006 and was also a member of the Umpire team at the 2009 Louis Vuitton Trophy events.

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