Rolex Sydney Hobart: Wild Oats XI is protested over AIS issue
by CYCA Media/Sail-World.com/nz 28 Dec 2018 04:30 PST
29 December 2018
The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA), the organising authority for the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, has been advised that Race Committee has advised that they have lodged a protest against Wild Oats XI.
The Race Committee received a report from the owner of Black Jack advising that Wild Oats XI’s AIS had not transmitted throughout the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2018.
On investigation, and based on its own evidence, the Race Committee considers there may have been a breach of S.I. 11.4 in respect of Special Regulation 4.09 (a).
The CYCA Commodore, Paul Billingham explained: “The Race Committee is independent of the organising authority of the race to ensure objectivity is maintained and seen to be maintained in circumstances such as this.”
The protest will be heard by the International Jury, chaired by Russell Green (NZL) in the Jury Room at the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania on Saturday 29 December at 1300 hrs.
S-W NZ: It is understood that the second placed competitor on Line Honours (Black Jack) did not lodge a protest herself, although comment was made about alleged infringement to the media by Black Jack crew after their arrival in Hobart. The Int Jury can only consider first-hand evidence, not Hearsay evidence, which will require either crews from other yachts to testify, or for the Race Committee to offer their own evidence, or to take evidence submitted by the crew of Wild Oats XI.
A report this morning in US sailing website Sailing Illustrated claims that Wild Oats XI had an AIS check conducted by a third party prior to the Race start on Wednesday. Click here for the full story on Sailing Illustrated.