AC 33 | Rules and explanations - part 1

The AC33 has been sailed and USA-17 managed to win both matches.
Congratulations to the whole BMW Oracle Racing - team.

In a couple of posts in the coming week, I want to take you back to several rules issues in those two matches. I already posted about the first penalty in the first match in this post Rules picture of the year?, so we'll leave that one. But in both matches there were other - be it less deciding - issues.

I'll try to explain the following subjects:

• SUI lost the first match with a delta of over 15 minutes, although she crossed the finish line within 10 minutes of USA-17. How is that possible?
• In the second match SUI again received a penalty in the pre-start. This time not because of a boat to boat incident, but because of an 'unforced' error on her part. Or was it really 'unforced'?
• Although SUI managed to lead for most of the windward beat to mark 1 and crossed USA in front in the second match, she did not round the first mark as the leading boat. The rules play a big part in why that happened.
• Half way up the beat in the second match SUI tied a red protest-flag in one of her back-stays. What was that all about? Could she have influenced the outcome had the hearing been held?
• And finally a very difficult issue. A major conflict between OA and RC - both represented in the committee boat on the water. With that we drift into a subject the ISAF is also working on: Interested Party.

If you have other issues you want to have explained about the rules, drop me an Email and I'll endeavour to find an answer.

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