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Off Day: Smoking gun?

Posted 1 year, 5 months ago

Off Day: Smoking gun?
In last night's post we opined that there was little chance of ETNZ whinging winning the protest unless they were able to produce "smoking gun" evidence that Alinghi were unable to lower the mainsail without sendhing a man up the mast. Alinghi did send bowman Peter "von Alphabet" (NED, and that's been his AC nickname for years -- actual surname is von Nieuwenhuyzen) up the rig, but to attach a halyard to prevent the sail from crashing down onto the deck when it was released by a trip cord operated at deck level. Why the Measurement Committee allowed Alinghi to send a man up the mast for prophylactic purposes is, well, anyone's guess. Regardless, after the finish that PRO Peter "Luigi" Reggio (USA) radioed the yachts to say the Measurers were coming aboard to check their respective abilities to trip the main halyard lock without sending a man up the rig. This radio call was captured live on TV, as are all such RC informational calls to the yachts during the race (there is a TV camerman aboard the RC boat, same as there was during the Match in Auckland -- a good addition to the ACTV show, and making Peter Reggio's mustache almost as famous as Paul Cayard's). Luigi's call alerted the TV control room to the issue, and the ACM directors trained their cameras on the ensuiing aerial action. Below is a screenshot from th TV coverage carried live last night on TVNZ. It is one of 18 such shots posted by our old friend and veteran Cup reporter Richard Gladwell (NZL) on the Sail-World site. http://www.sail-world.com/indexs.cfm?nid=35168 ">Check them out. No doubt these creenshots are a preview of video the jury will be looking at over and over during today's 11:00 hearing. This could get interesting. No doubt Jim Farmer and Jack Lloyd (NZL both, ETNZ rules advisors) and Hamish Ross (NZL, Alinghi General Counsel) were not out on the town relaxing last evening (though we did run into the always ebullient Ross Munro and Ross Blackman, along with a half-dozen other ETNZ stalwarts, all of whom were justifiably stoked about their team's performance so far to say nothing of their prospects for success in the protest today. Stay tuned. Look at the Sail-World post and see what you think. Post a comment below if you are so inclined. Today could be a bit more interesting than one might have thought last evening, given that the MC declined to protest. Has new "smoking gun" evidence surfaced in the meantime? Smoking gun? Or tempest in a teapot? Full Story »

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