Rule change raises Prada Cup stakes
AUCKLAND: As if it did not already have enough motivation on the eve of the Prada Cup semifinal, a decision by the Challenger of Record (COR) has served to fuel American Magic's determination to beat Luna Rossa.
The US team's skipper, Terry Hutchinson, has voiced his disappointment at a decision by COR to scrap the 15minute delay rule trialled in last weekend's final roundrobin race between Ineos Team UK and the Italian syndicate.
The rule allows teams to force a delayed start to a race and was introduced by regatta director Iain Murray following Luna Rossa cohelmsman Jimmy Spithill's revelation it had been racing ‘‘blind’’ due to the failure of their Race Management System (RMS) in an earlier race.
Ineos Team UK was the first to use the delay moments before the scheduled start of its crucial clash with Luna Rossa at the weekend after encountering problems with its Cunningham, which is used to control the shape of the mainsail, adding tension to the mast.
Sir Ben Ainslie was able to postpone the race start by 15 minutes, allowing the Brits time to get the boat race ready. They beat Luna Rossa by 33 seconds in a thrilling race, to advance to the Prada Cup final.
At a meeting earlier yesterday, however, Hutchinson was informed the trial would not be continued for the remainder of the Prada Cup. The veteran skipper says he received no explanation as to why the call was made.
‘‘You just have to look at it for what it is and if you need an extra piece of motivation, then so be it,’’Hutchinson said.
‘‘That's a question for them [COR]. That decision gets made unilaterally . . . we were not consulted at all and so from a competitive perspective you would love to at least have a little bit of input into the things that affect your racing.’’
The decision has also surprised Murray, who said it was a good safeguard to ensure teams were able to race fairly.
‘‘It's important that the teams turn up having the ability to race and we have seen a number of problems throughout the regatta, including Ineos last weekend. I thought a 15minute oneoff race card delay was a good idea,’’ Murray said.
Luna Rossa is intrinsically linked to the Challenger of Record, with one insider claiming ‘‘they are trying to make it as hard as possible for American Magic’’.
When approached for comment, a COR spokesperson said ‘‘a change of rules is a matter between the Challenger of Record and the Defender and teams are not necessarily involved’’.
In a statement, Team New Zealand said it was not consulted by COR, but if it had been, it ‘‘absolutely supports the continuation of the rule in racing’’.
American boat was relaunched on Wednesday after 10 days off the water following its capsize during the first weekend of the Prada Cup.
The syndicate expressed its gratitude to the other challengers, as well as Team New Zealand, for assisting it in repairing significant damage to its hull following the dramatic incident.
Hutchinson said while he acknowledges ‘‘certain decisions are made between the defender and the COR’’, all challengers should have been consulted by COR.
‘‘I would have loved to have at least been asked. You get asked a question and can have a good discussion about the reasons for and against.’’
American Magic and Luna Rossa face off in the first of the semifinal races from 3pm today, with the first to four victories advancing to the Prada Cup final. —