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oracle cheating, ac45 one design modified without permission

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Tom Ehman

Full text of the ORACLE TEAM USA statement issued this evening:

 

OTUSA Withdraws from Past AC45 Regattas

Between June 2012 and April 2013

 

San Francisco (Thursday, August 8, 2013) – ORACLE TEAM USA’s AC45 yachts have withdrawn, retrospectively, from the last four AC World Series regattas.

 

This follows an internal investigation led by CEO Russell Coutts, which determined that prior to racing in the regattas the yachts were modified without the permission of the Measurement Committee. The withdrawal is in spite of the fact that the modifications had no impact on the performance of the boats.

 

The AC45s are a class of 45-foot training yachts used in previous world circuit regattas and have not raced since Naples in April 2013. They are distinct from the AC72 yachts (72-footers) being raced in this year’s Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup.

 

The modifications were made over a year ago by a small number of team members involved in the AC45 circuit, without the knowledge of management or the skippers, and without having followed standard internal procedures.

 

“Our team is very disappointed by this turn of events, and I believe that voluntarily withdrawing from these past AC45 regattas is the appropriate corrective action,” Coutts said. “Going forward we remain focused on our AC72 training in preparation for the upcoming America’s Cup this September.”

 

more here

 

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/americas ... cws-titles

 

and gossip here

 

http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index. ... pic=149391

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FRANS DE COURT

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This cheating issue might need to be taken quite seriously, since from memory the Oracle CEO has had previous 'instances'. Some ten (or more) years ago when racing the Etchells out of Pine Harbour, 'things' where done to his boat's keel, that didn't pass. One of the measurers quit, disappointed with what was happening, in the sport, by a very well known high level sailor!

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bushman

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I think the same guy had a problem with his Soling before that .... it was called Bad Company and was parked by the then Hoods sail loft in shame for some time ....... man they should re measure allingi ???? maybe we didn't lose the cup after all

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from here

 

http://www.sailracingmagazine.com/edito ... violations

 

In reality the illegal modifications were discovered by the America's Cup measurement team who were scrutineering the AC45 fleet for the upcoming Red Bull Youth America's Cup. The measurers discovered lead weights amounting to about 2.5 kg packed into the king posts at the front end of three of the boats - two which had previously been raced by Oracle and the other one prepared by Oracle but used by Sir Ben Ainslie's BAR campaign.

 

All this tool place on July 26 and what the measurers did next is a little unclear. It seems they first notified Oracle and then told their boss, America's Cup regatta director Iain Murray. In the measurers' report was the summary statement "the modifications seem to be intentional efforts to circumvent the AC45 class rule and are therefore serious in nature."

 

http://tvnz.co.nz/americas-cup-video/lu ... ng-5530822

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From LAtitude 38

 

Oracle to Be Banned from the AC?

 

August 12, 2013 – San Francisco Bay

 

It could happen.

 

Bob Fisher, one of the world’s most respected yachting journalists declared, “I would have thought Oracle would have the common decency to withdraw [from the America’s Cup]."

 

(Click on the photo to enlarge it.)

Oracle Team USA's AC45s were illegally altered. The question now is, who knew what and when? © 2013 Guilain Grenier / Oracle Team USA

 

When measuring the AC45s in late July for the upcoming Red Bull Youth Championship that is to start on September 1, measurers discovered something wrong. Three of the 12 AC45s, which are the strict one-designs that were used in the America’s Cup World Series events in 2012 and 2013, had been illegally modified. Curiously, all three of the catamarans had been prepared by Oracle Team USA, which went on to win the World Series in San Francisco. Two of the three cats were raced by Oracle, and one was prepared for Ben Ainslie of Great Britain, who was competing in the Olympics at the time the boats were being prepared.

 

The modification was the addition of about five pounds of ballast, in the form of slurry or lead shot, to the kingpost, which is the forward dolphin striker. In reporting their findings, the Measurement Committee concluded, “the modifications appeared to be intentional efforts to circumvent the AC45 class rule and are therefore serious in nature.”

 

One would have thought the measurers first responsibility would have been to take evidence of the illegal modifications to their boss, Regatta Director Iain Murray. Inexplicably they first went to the Oracle team, then they went to Murray. A week later, Coutts issued an undisclosed statement to the International Jury. In another inexplicable move, Murray then requested a gag order on the part of everyone involved. Don't you love transparency in sport?

 

On August 8, Jury Notice 096 was released, which included emails from Ben Ainslie and Oracle’s Richard Slater, withdrawing their boats from the last four World Series regattas. Ainslie denied any knowledge of the illegal modifications and put the blame directly on Oracle. For his part, Coutts said that neither he nor any of the skippers or sailors on the AC45s had any knowledge of the illegal modifications.

 

Coutts, presenting himself as the noble guardian of fair play, released a perhaps too-cleverly worded statement on behalf of Oracle, one that has made us vow to never buy a used car from him. The statement said that following in “an internal investigation led by CEO Russell Coutts” it was determined that “the yachts were modified without the permission of the Measurement Committee . . .”

 

Does anyone else think that Coutts had an obligation to mention that there never would have been an Oracle investigation had the measurers not found the illegal modifications?

 

Does anyone else see the gaping difference between the Oracle statement saying the yachts were modified “without permission” of the Measurement Committee and the fact that the Measurement Committee could never have given permission for them because the modifications were illegal?

 

We were also struck by the fact that Coutts didn’t identify which team members made the modifications, and have them explain to the press why they made them and why they did so without telling Coutts or any of the skippers or crew members. After all, we think the sailing audience would understand, as it’s common knowledge that lower-level members of America’s Cup teams are allowed, if not encouraged, to make whimsical modifications to the America’s Cup boats whenever it strikes their fancy.

 

If, as Coutts claims, the modifications had no impact on the performance of the boats, we also have to wonder why Oracle retroactively withdrew from the World Series events — as opposed to either asking the other teams or the International Jury to decide if it was something they should do. Withdrawing makes it seem as though they had something to feel significantly guilty about.

 

There is disagreement as to whether or not the modifications could have helped the Oracle team’s performance. Some have said the cats could benefit from added weight forward in light winds. Others, such as the respected America’s Cup vet and naval architect Murray, suggest they would have had no benefit. Another possible explanation is that the weight was added to keep the boats at the necessary displacement. If this was the case, the weight was added in an area where it was not permitted.

 

Barclay and Murray faced an unhappy press corps, that pressed the pair for honest answers.

© 2013 OneNews

 

Following the disclosures, there was a lightly-attended but gruesome press conference on the matter, with Murray and America’s Cup CEO Stephen Barclay on the podium. Bob Fisher, longtime and highly respected yachting and America’s Cup journalist, was blunt. Microphone in hand, he firmly declared, “There has been cheating going on. I won’t use any other word because it is obviously cheating.” And he demanded an explanation from Barclay and Murray, the latter looking as though he hadn’t slept in a week. They said the matter was being investigated. An Italian journalist informed the panel that officials in Venice and Naples were thinking about suing the America’s Cup because the World Series events held there had been “a fake.” Tom Fitzgerald of the San Francisco Chronicle had the temerity to ask Barclay if it was determined that there had been cheating, should Larry Ellison be "banned from the competition." Interesting press conference snippets can be found here.

 

Among the competitors, Emirates Team New Zealand head Grand Dalton, a longtime adversary of fellow Kiwi Russell Coutts, also used the word “cheating.” Dalton said, “This is as bad as it gets.” If the modifications were for a competitive advantage as opposed to some kind of mistake, we would agree with Dalton’s evaluation. The entire concept of fair play in yacht racing is based on the honesty and integrity of the participants.

 

The matter is now in the hands of the International Jury, which is currently conducting its own investigation. Under the Racing Rules of Sailing (America’s Cup version) Rule 69 (Allegations of Gross Misconduct) and America’s Cup Protocol Article 60 (Protecting the Reputation of the America’s Cup), the Jury could give Oracle the boot. There is precedent for such an action in the Admiral’s Cup when it was a top-flight international competition. In that case, even the whistleblowers were banned from racing for a period of time. Whether it would happen to the host of the the 34th America’s Cup is another thing.

 

We don't want anybody to get the wrong impression. As flawed as it's been, we've enjoyed the America's Cup competition thus far, as well as the AC World Series, and we're happy about the sailing buzz they've brought to the Bay. Also, based on the new gizmo you can attach to a Laser without tools to make it capable of foiling, there actually has been some trickle down. Nonetheless, we have the following questions for you:

 

Do you think Oracle’s illegal modifications were the result of an attempt to cheat, or an honest mistake made by lower-level people who didn’t know any better and who weren’t properly supervised?

 

Do you believe Russell Coutts’ claim that neither he nor any of the people actually sailing on the 45s knew anything about the modifications, and would you buy a used car from him?

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Storm in a tea cup I say. Someone will be paid to take the fall and receive all of the punishment that gets thrown at them. Those at the top of OR will see no punishment and will apologize untill the cows come home.

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Maybe. Will be interesting to see how stroppy that the IJ gets given that Oracle was the AC45 "host" so to speak.

 

If they are too lame in their punishment it will make the IJ members look like saps and it is the IJ's duty to uphold the integrity of the sport.

 

Pretty laughable that some are suggesting it is all a misunderstanding and some muppet boat builder accidentally topped up the kingposts with lead knot knowing it was against the rules tho! Sounds like a Tui add.

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Grinna

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Interesting to note that:

 

    All 3 boats were modified with the same amount of weight in each one.
    Not only is it not a lot of weight, but its not as much weight as could have been put there (i.e. the forward kingposts weren't filled with lead ... only a little bit at the bottom)
    Nobody can immediately identify any advantage to putting a small amount of weight in that location
    Whether there was an advantage or not, the boats were still out of spec.

 

My take on the whole affair:

 

    A "simple mistake" doesn't happen three times to three different boats.
    I can't imagine a boat builder putting any weight inside the forward kingpost off his own bat without having specific instructions from someone with some design/performance/engineering nouse to say "put this amount of weight in this location".
    The potential for some fairly serious penalties to result from this is reasonably high so I think we should probably prepare ourselves for someone(s) to be thrown under the bus in order to keep the Oracle Team USA machine ticking along.
    If it looks like it will go badly for OTUSA there will probably be some (attempted) delays thrown into the whole affair to delay any penalties until after the AC is decided.
    This is something that OTUSA could have done without ... especially at this point in their AC program.
    We may never hear the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about this affair.

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As the story goes make up weights have been required over time to correct additional weight from repairs, branding etc. The location of these is specified but knot in the king posts.

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