Louis Vuitton Trophy- On again, off again saga with BMWOR and ETNZ

by BMW Oracle Racing Blog on 30 May 2010
BMW Oracle Racing's http://bmworacleracingblog.blogspot.com/!Blogsite reports on the on again, off again saga between Emirates Team NZ and the America's Cup Defenders, as they go in an out of the Jury Room over the decision to resail the Flight 2 race in which the New Zealanders were initially penalised for carrying insufficient forestay tension.

Then the Jury decided the rule was unworkable and recommended that the Race Committee amend it, which they did, and then declared a finished race to be abandoned. BMW Oracle protested again, the Jury dismissed and then they had to sail on the water instead of the Jury Room.

The race was crucial for BMW Oracle Racing as they only had one point going into the delayed Flight 2.

Peter Rusche of BMW Oracle Racing blog takes up the story:

A split, but...
Mixed fortunes for BMW ORACLE Racing on the water today. The team lost its opening match on the day to Synergy. Although BOR led around the top mark, they were rolled on the first run by the Russian team and never recovered the lead.

Then in the second match against Emirates Team New Zealand, Spithill was penalised in the start for a windward/leeward infraction moments after entering the start box.

But BMW picked the correct side of the course and led into around the track and into the final run, still, however, carrying a penalty. As the afterguard was trying to decide whether they could extend enough to complete the penalty turn, or would have to slow up to engage the Kiwis in an effort to offset the penalty, surprisingly, the penalty flag came down. The Umpires had assessed a penalty to ETNZ, in effect canceling the penalty to BOR.

BMW ORACLE Racing led across the line to win the race on the water. But the Kiwis are expected to appeal the penalty they were assessed by the Umpires. Certainly it was an unusual one. In an effort to protect the boats, the Race Committee had amended the sailing instructions to ensure the teams keep adequate forestay tension on the boats on the downwind legs. In this instance, ETNZ were judged to have breached this rule and were given a penalty.
Posted by BMW ORACLE Racing at 18:00

Friday, May 28, 2010
Redress denied. BMW ORACLE Racing win stands
The Jury has ruled against the Emirates Team New Zealand request for redress. BMW ORACLE Racing grabs their second win of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in La Maddalena.

Posted by BMW ORACLE Racing at 22:49

Ooops. Race to be re-sailed after all
Friday night's Jury decision wasn't the end of the story in the Emirates Team New Zealand request for redress. Although the Jury denied redress, it did make a recommendation to the Race Committee that the amendment to the Sailing Instructions under which the Kiwis were penalised was a bad rule.

On Saturday morning, the rule was rescinded. Shortly afterwards, the Race Committee decided, 'in the interest of fairness' to abandon the race and re-sail it.

There's more on the event website here. And video from Luigi and Chief Umpire Bill Edgerton explaining the situation here.

Meanwhile, the wind is very light in La Maddalena this morning. Racing has been pushed back until at least 1100. BMW ORACLE Racing is scheduled to face Mascalzone Latino Audi team, but not until the sixth match of the day. Based on the current weather, it's would seem unlikely that Luigi will get to a sixth match today.

Saturday, May 29, 2010
Ooops redux
This one isn't dead yet. BMW ORACLE Racing will now ask for redress following the Race Committee's decision this morning to abandon Friday's race - won on the water by BOR - and to schedule a re-sail. There will be a hearing after racing today.

And with no racing starting before 1300, it's getting likely the redress hearing will be the only action for BMW ORACLE Racing in La Maddalena today. BOR is scheduled to race in the sixth match of the day - at this point, PRO Luigi will be lucky to complete five.
Posted by BMW ORACLE Racing at 12:45

Breeze is up - re-sail scheduled
BMW ORACLE Racing is up against it today. After the redress hearing last night brought no joy, the team now faces Emirates Team New Zealand in a re-sail of the match the team won in controversial circumstances.

The wind at dock-out time (0810 local) was up near 20 knots and is expected to build throughout the day, putting the schedule at the Louis Vuitton Trophy under more pressure. PRO Peter Reggio is hoping to get at least a couple of flights off before the wind builds too much.

Posted by BMW ORACLE Racing at 08:31

Great race - tough loss
Well it was worth racing twice, even if that wasn't necessarily what either team wanted. A great match this morning in 17 to 20 knot westerlies.

The turning point came at the top of the second beat when ETNZ came in from the right and threw a tight lee-bow tack at the BOR team. Instead of tacking away, Jimmy Spithill and JK tried to live there and did a pretty good job of it.

Approaching the mark, but with both boats shy of the layline, Kiwi skipper Dean Barker threw a hard luff at BOR and the Umpires judged BMW ORACLE didn't do enough to keep clear, and issued a penalty. It was escalated to a Red Flag penalty when the Umpires judged BOR gained a controlling position through the foul.

Then, to add insult to injury, the first penalty turn, slickly executed in the heavy winds didn't count - the Umpires saying the boat was too close to the mark when they did the turn. So a second turn had to be made - game over.

Despite the result it was a cracking match, and no doubt a good exercise for the team as it regains its match racing 'muscle memory'.

Unfortunately, it puts BOR in a precarious position on the leaderboard with just one point and only two races left.
Posted by BMW ORACLE Racing at 10:21

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