Stupid Mistake or Gross Misconduct?

A previously confidential report by the Chairman of the America’s Cup Measurement Committee reveals that according to an internal inquiry by Oracle Team USA, one member of their sailing crew was involved along with three members of the team Shore crew in the AC45 Measurement incident which broke late last week.

The incident relates to the finding on July 26, that a builder supplied part of three AC45’s managed by America’s Cup Defenders Oracle Team USA, had been tampered with, and had over 2kgs of ballast added to it.

The discovery was made by boatbuilders working for America’s Cup Regatta Management (ACRM).

The amount of additional weight added is miniscule, and it is equally hard to understand why it would be located forward in the boat, however the point is that it was a breach of the class rules for the AC45 – which is a one design manufacturer supplied class.

The flipside of that situation is the time taken to clear off what should have been a very simple matter of the team identifying the people involved, the circumstances, and providing the Measurer with an explanation – all within 24 hours. Maybe they could have avoided the ignomy of withdrawing from the last four events of the America’s cup World Series, of which Oracle team USA had won three and finished second in the other.

Instead what should have been a minor error, has dragged on for over two weeks and now the investigatory phase of a Rule 69 (Gross Misconduct) Hearing has got underway involving a substantial number of the team members, at a time when they should be preparing for the Defence of the America’s Cup.

That situation is not of the Measurer’s or Jury’s making – but of Oracle Team USA. And their fans have got to ask why? – Sail-World, read on

Editor’s note: This would not be the first time that ISAF has been forced to scrutinize unsavory issues surrounding the America’s Cup. The 2003 America’s Cup had disturbing rumors of sailors using performance enhancing drugs, and at the 2007 America’s Cup, ISAF had to issue Alinghi crew Simon Daubney a two year ban for a failed drug test.