Please select your home edition
Edition
C-Tech 2021 America's Cup 728x90 TOP

Why weren't Luna Rossa penalised in the Race 4 pre-start incident?

by Mark Jardine 30 Sep 2024 05:50 NZDT 29 September 2024
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs. INEOS Britannia on Louis Vuitton Cup Final Race Day 3 - September 29, 2024 © Ricardo Pinto / America's Cup

Race 4 between Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and INEOS Britannia in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final was full of drama, but one moment had had sailors asking questions on social media groups more than any other, and clearly riled Ben Ainslie and Dylan Fletcher on the British boat.

To British fans it looked like a clear windward-leeward situation. To Italian fans it looked like Luna Rossa was clear ahead. The reality lies elsewhere, and the key is in the Racing Rules of Sailing, and a particular Appendix C (Match Racing) rule that doesn't apply in the America's Cup.

Rule 13.2 'After the foot of the mainsail of a boat sailing downwind crosses the centreline she shall keep clear of other boats until her mainsail has filled or she is no longer sailing downwind.' has been removed for the America's Cup, and instead a boat just needs to be beyond the angle of the wind direction to have gybed, which meant that Luna Rossa had actually gybed far earlier than appears on screen, as we were all looking at the sails, not the angle of the boats to the wind, which isn't at all obvious on TV.

So, if the diamonds which surround the boats had intersected when INEOS Britannia protested, it may have been the British team penalised, or Italy, depending on whether Luna Rossa were judged to have given the Brits enough room to keep clear.

We, as everyday sailors, were looking at things from our own experience, and the rules we use. The America's Cup rules though are slightly different, which they need to be to accommodate racing these extraordinary machines.

When these kinds of situation arise, we'll try and make things clearer.

Rewatch the whole race in full: (the incident in question starts at 2 minutes in)

Mozzy's analysis of the call here:

Related Articles

Fastnet Race, RS Aeros, Isle of Wight
Fastnet Race, RS Aero Worlds, GL50s, Isle of Wight circumnavigation When the conversation turns to the world's greatest middle-distance bluewater races, talk tends to linger on the Rolex Fastnet Race, which started on Saturday, July 26, and for great reason. Posted on 29 Jul
Of Ospreys, Eagles, Falcons, and Moths
Birds of prey. Insects. All of them airborne? How does it all apply here? Time to find out! All are airborne. The first three are birds of prey. The last one is an insect. All are so completely different. The first three have also had their name, formidable qualities and fantastic reputations applied to fantastic aircraft made by Boeing. Posted on 27 Jul
Rolex Fastnet Race Start - view from Hurst Castle
A video montage as the fleet went out of the Solent I went out to Hurst Castle with his camera and drone to capture the action as the boats, ranging from the mighty Ultim trimarans, through to the IMOCAs and grand prix yachts competing in the 2025 Admiral's Cup went through the narrrows out of the Solent. Posted on 26 Jul
(More than) A Day at the Races
The UK is the place to be right now if you're a sailor The UK is the place to be right now if you're a sailor, and I don't think I've ever known a time when so many great events are happening concurrently. Posted on 22 Jul
Were the Roos Robbed in Portsmouth?
We discuss the Race 6 Penalty with SailGP's Chief Umpire Craig Mitchell The high speed, short course action of SailGP is thrilling to watch, but inevitably causes tight situations and means the Umpires have to react quickly to decide who is right and who is wrong. Posted on 22 Jul
SailGP comes to Portsmouth!
We speak to the sailors ahead of the weekend The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth takes place this weekend, with the 12 teams competing in F50 catamarans close to the waterfront, where a massive grandstand has been built for the spectators. Posted on 18 Jul
The Ocean Cleanup's 30 Cities Program
A look at The Ocean Cleanup and its the 30 Cities Program The cliche goes that one should avoid meeting one's heroes, as there's always a chance that the flesh-and-blood person might not live up to expectations. While I've never met Boyan Slat, I'd gladly take this risk. Posted on 15 Jul
Double Double
And the rest of the line is not toil and trouble, but quadruple, then another double… On the eve of the 100th Fastnet that has attracted some 464 entries, I heard of one entry in this record fleet that seemed so very apt. Not only because it includes the Commodore of the RORC, but because it combines two Brits and two Aussies. Posted on 13 Jul
Jazz Turner Video Interview
How she Faced Everything And Rose during Project FEAR I travelled to Brighton Marina to catch up with Jazz, talking about her own sailing, the challenges she faced during the circumnavigation, how the money raised will be used, and a glimpse of her future projects! Posted on 10 Jul
Understanding sMRT Alert with Jack Sharland
Man Overboard Devices have come a long way in the last few years Man Overboard Devices have come a long way in the last few years with more features packed into smaller devices, but with all these features it can sometimes be difficult to understand what they all do. Posted on 9 Jul
Sydney Boat Show 2025 - Apply to ExhibitBarton Marine Pipe GlandsLloyd Stevenson - Catalyst GT 1456x180px BOTTOM