Italy threat to sit out Cup opener
July 7, 2013, Sunday
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AN already troubled America's Cup took a wacky tack on Friday when Luna Rossa threatened to sit out the opening race of the challenger series, prompting the boss of the American defender to call the Italians "a bunch of spoiled rich kids dressed in Prada gear".
It just wouldn't be an America's Cup without a controversy and some smack talk.
The only difference this time is the tiff has its roots in changes made following the death of British sailor Andrew "Bart" Simpson on May 9 in the capsize of Artemis Racing's 72-foot catamaran.
That accident led regatta director Iain Murray to make 37 safety recommendations, including changes to the rudders that he says will make the high-performance, 72-foot catamarans more stable, particularly as they speed downwind riding only on hydrofoils.
Luna Rossa and Team New Zealand have protested, saying Murray doesn't have the authority to unilaterally change the rules. They say their boats were designed and built under the old rules and they don't have time to build new rudders and, perhaps more importantly, test them. They've also said they feel the change gives an advantage to defending champion Oracle Team USA, which doesn't have to race until the start of the 34th America's Cup on September 7.
The opening race of the Louis Vuitton Cup for challengers is set for today, between Luna Rossa and Team New Zealand.
The protest is scheduled to be heard tomorrow. Murray said the jury is from the International Sailing Federation and sets its own schedule. He said the jury members have been in San Francisco since Wednesday and there's a chance the issue could be solved before today.
"We may decide to not take part in the race on Sunday," Italian skipper Max Sirena said at a news conference on Friday. "The main reason for that is just because, I mean, we want to wait for the hearing of the jury and then we'll make our plan on top of that."
Later, Sirena interrupted a questioner and said: "We just feel it's unfair and against our principal what is going on. ... We are here to race but we will not race without a fair rule."
It just wouldn't be an America's Cup without a controversy and some smack talk.
The only difference this time is the tiff has its roots in changes made following the death of British sailor Andrew "Bart" Simpson on May 9 in the capsize of Artemis Racing's 72-foot catamaran.
That accident led regatta director Iain Murray to make 37 safety recommendations, including changes to the rudders that he says will make the high-performance, 72-foot catamarans more stable, particularly as they speed downwind riding only on hydrofoils.
Luna Rossa and Team New Zealand have protested, saying Murray doesn't have the authority to unilaterally change the rules. They say their boats were designed and built under the old rules and they don't have time to build new rudders and, perhaps more importantly, test them. They've also said they feel the change gives an advantage to defending champion Oracle Team USA, which doesn't have to race until the start of the 34th America's Cup on September 7.
The opening race of the Louis Vuitton Cup for challengers is set for today, between Luna Rossa and Team New Zealand.
The protest is scheduled to be heard tomorrow. Murray said the jury is from the International Sailing Federation and sets its own schedule. He said the jury members have been in San Francisco since Wednesday and there's a chance the issue could be solved before today.
"We may decide to not take part in the race on Sunday," Italian skipper Max Sirena said at a news conference on Friday. "The main reason for that is just because, I mean, we want to wait for the hearing of the jury and then we'll make our plan on top of that."
Later, Sirena interrupted a questioner and said: "We just feel it's unfair and against our principal what is going on. ... We are here to race but we will not race without a fair rule."
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