Cup Experience

Many America's Cup fans say this is their best source of information.

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Ruddergate – the conspiracy theory

 

Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand have protested changes to the design rule for AC72 catamarans. The rule says it can only be changed with unanimous approval of all America’s Cup competitors, but Regatta Director Iain Murray claims he can change the rule and that his changes are for safety. Luna Rossa and ETNZ say the changes are not needed for safety and that they help the performance of Oracle Team USA.

Luna Rossa will not race until the International Jury makes its decision on the protest.

Ruddergate evidence – Oracle Team USA’s rudder elevators

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Oracle Team USA’s AC72 rudder elevators. Image OTUSA Video

Every America’s Cup seems to have its controversy and this time we have “ruddergate.”

Like “keelgate” in 1983, the dispute is about underwater wings, this time on the rudders. Murray claims that the design rule changes are for safety and that they are part of the Coast Guard permit for the regatta. ETNZ and Luna Rossa both say the rudder changes are for performance and they help Oracle Team USA. They also claim that Murray overstepped his authority and that design rule changes can only be made with unanimous agreement from the competitors.

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Does Oracle need the wider rudders to be able to foil like this…

… instead of like this.

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Oracle Team USA has put out a video to tell their side of the story.

 

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New race viewer replays all ACWS races

We should all give a big “Thank You!” to the LiveLine team. Their open data lets us have this cool Cup Experience Race Viewer. It has all America’s Cup World Series races. You choose the race, then control playback speed, map orientation and boat tracks. Try it out here.

America's Cup Race Viewer
America’s Cup Race Viewer

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ETNZ Protest – what’s it all about

ETNZ has protested ACRM for making changes to the AC72 Class Rule. According to this rule, changes can only be made with unanimous approval of the competitors.

ACRM claims that the safety recommendations became part of the rules since those recommendations were submitted to the US Coast Guard as part of the Marine Event Permit application.

ETNZ endorses almost all of the safety recommendations. But… they claim that the recommendation on “rudder elevators” (underwater wings a the ends of the rudders) is not a safety issue but a performance issue. And, they believe this change to the rule will benefit their competition. They don’t name Oracle Team USA as the team that will benefit, but Luna Rossa does.

If you want the techie details….

The class rule did not allow rudder elevators to extend outside the width of the hulls. ETNZ and Luna Rossa built asymmetric elevators to respect that rule. The rule also forbade adjusting the the angle of the elevators while racing, and required a new measurement certificate if the angle was changed between races, on shore. The rule as modified by ACRM eliminates those restrictions.

Remember that Luna Rossa bought their boat design from ETNZ, as permitted by the rules. Both teams have been foiling stably with asymmetric rudder elevators that comply with the original rules. They believe OTUSA and Artemis will benefit those teams can use rudder elevators with less restrictive rules.

America's Cup Luna Rossa's rudder, with elevator Photo: Pierre Orphanidis
Luna Rossa’s rudder, with elevator Photo: Pierre Orphanidis
America's Cup Luna Rossa's asymmetric rudder elevators Photo: Spitfile Image
Luna Rossa’s asymmetric rudder elevators Photo: Spitfile Image

What happens next? How will it affect the race schedule?

The International Jury will hear the protest beginning next Monday, July 8. ETNZ has already said they will accept the jury’s decision, regardless of whether it goes their way or not.

Luna Rossa may choose not to race until the jury makes its decision – meaning that the first round robin race may not happen until July 13. The race calendar is posted here.

If you want the gory detail of the rules and legal issues…

Attorney Cory Friedman gives his analysis of the protest and the rules situation here.

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Opening Ceremony / first races: July 4, 5, 7 schedule

Here is an overview of the schedule, with links to more detail on the AC website.

July 4: Opening Ceremony at AC Park – Pier 27-29

12:00   Ribbon cutting – AC Park

15:00   Opening Ceremony in AC Pavilion

The Park and exhibits are free. Admission to the Opening Ceremony is $10 with $9 going to the Healthy Ocean Project – a good cause!

The “Flying on Water” exhibit in the AC Park sounds like it should be interesting:

Features include a wind tunnel and an eight-foot section of an AC72 wing sail. A fan activates when you place your hand in the wind tunnel, and you’re able to trim the wing with your hand.

At the projection wall, fans can interact via a track ball with a 14-foot three-dimensional model of an AC72. Rotate the model by rotating the track ball and zoom in on certain sections of the model and factoids pop up.

A hydrofoiling experiment allows fans to press down on a mini daggerboard, which activates a projection of an AC72. The catamaran starts to gybe when you push on the daggerboard; lift it up and the boat starts to fly.

See the full 34th America’s Cup Opening Day program.

July 5:  Boat Parade and AC72 Speed Trials

11:00   Boat Parade passes AC Park at Pier 27-29

The AC7s will be towed by their tenders in the boat parade.

12:15   AC72 Speed Trials, off Marina Green.

Watch the trial on big screens at Marina Green and in AC Park.

13:15  end of Speed Trials, AC72’s return to moorings at AC Park

14:00   Dock in show with sailors, at AC Park

See the AC website article about the events on July 5.

July 7:  First race of the Louis Vuitton Cup round robin

Emirates Team New Zealand is scheduled to race Luna Rossa on Sunday 7 July, at 12:15.
That race may not happen, though, since Luna Rossa has said they do not want to race before the International Jury decides on the protest about changes to the design rule for the AC72. See the article below for details.