While Luna Rossa scored its first point in the "exhibition race" despite a small defect on the starboard centreboard (a cheap plastic part broke) (opponent Artemis is still not sailing), the organisers announced that the international jury had ruled in favour of Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa. Their protest was about the change to the AC72 class rules, which now require larger and symmetrical trim tabs on the rudders ("elevators"). This change would have required the approval of all teams, but this was not forthcoming because the New Zealanders and Italians were opposed to it.
Funnily enough, however, both teams have modified their rudders to comply with the new class rules, which were pushed through by regatta director Iain Murray as part of the safety package following the fatal Artemis accident during training in May. Only the ill-fated Artemis team, which has never sailed on hydrofoils, feels unable to build rudders that comply with the amended rules in the final push. This could spell the end of this ill-fated campaign, which has just brought the second ship out of the shed to undergo load tests. But there is a glimmer of hope:
"We have suggested that an exception to the class rules regarding the Elevators be made for Artemis once they are operational, as long as they comply with all other regulations," Grant Dalton, the team principal of the New Zealanders, struck a conciliatory tone. "This would require the agreement of the other participants, which we strongly advise." So good news for Artemis. But probably only because this team is not considered to be on a par as things stand.
Grant Simmer, the manager of Oracle Team USA, said they have no problem complying with the class rules and will be prepared to sail under those rules that are approved by the arbitration panel.
On Saturday at 12:15 local time (21:15 CEST), the second round of the Louis Vuitton Cup on San Francisco Bay will see the first real race between Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa, both of whom are in compliance with the rules. And it should be worth staying up a little longer for that.
