Countdown to the Cup

Just three months from today, on 1 April 2007, all Challengers and the Defender are required to "unveil" and thereafter may no longer use "skirts" or "shrouds" to hide the underbodies of their ACC yachts.

Australia II, during the 1983 Cup at Newport, was the first yacht to skirt (at least in the modern era). Following the 1992 Cup in San Diego, rules were established to require the two AC finalists to unveil prior to the Match. This proved popular and the unveiling date was moved earlier in Auckland for the 2000 and 2003 Cups, to just before the start of the LVC finals. For AC 32, the Defender and Challenger of Record agreed in the Protocol to move the unveiling date even earlier, to just before the start of Act 13. This we think will be a popular move with the sponsors, media and fans, to say nothing of the sailors who are not fond of grappling with the wet, often slimy skirts at the start and end of each day's sailing. (There is a sequence of photos showing what a pain this is over on the BMW ORACLE Racing blog.)

The framework of the unveiling procedure for Sunday 1 April (which, coincidentally, is April Fools' Day in the USA among other places) has been agreed by ACM, the Challenger Commission and the Defender along the following lines, which we are in the process of formalizing into a proper tri-party agreement:


KEY DATES

Sat 31 Mar 07 -- Declaration Day.

Sun 1 Apr -- Unveiling Day.

Mon 2 Apr -- Act 13 "No Change Period" begins 24 hours before the first race.

Tue 3 Apr -- Act 13 Races 1 & 2, as previously published.


UNVEILING DAY SCHEDULE

The approximate Sun 1 Apr schedule:

0900-0930: ACM kick-off event of some sort; may be as simple as a cannon at 0930 signalling the start of the "no skirting period."

From 0930: Skirting no longer permitted through the end of AC 32; and each team's one or two declared yachts must be available for viewing as follows....

0930-1130: The forecourt of each team base shall be open to ACM accredited media and other media invited by that team, and to bona fide members of other teams. The one or two declared yachts of each team shall be on display in the forecourt with a full set of appendages, mast/boom optional, with 360 degree viewing (unless the Regatta Director decides that space at a team's base does not permit, in which case with at least 180 degree viewing from bow-on to stern-on of each yacht), and from a distance of no further than three metres back from the sheerline verticals ("drip lines"). Normal still and video cameras permitted without restriction; no banners, personnel or otherwise may be used by a team to obstruct a clear view of the hulls and appendages. Yachts may be hung from travel lifts or placed in cradles. Teams are requested not to have any formal presentations or ceremonies involving the boat during this time in deference to the media and other team members being able to freely visit the other 11 teams without time pressure or schedules to keep (however, refreshments, interviews, etc., are of course permitted). For the avoidance of doubt, yachts must be and remain unveiled/unskirted from 0930. Teams, of course, may do their own private unveiling or other ceremonies, with or without media, at any time or on any day prior to or after this two-hour period on 1 April, though teams that do media work the day before involving an unveiling are asked to embargo the photos until after the 0930-1130 session Sun morning.

1130-1400: The forecourts of each team base shall be open to the general public, and continue open to other teams and media. Teams may reasonably limit, for safety purposes, the total number of persons in their forecourts at any one time, with viewing continuing on the same basis as during the 0930-1130 period.

Beginning at 1330: Teams may also make ready and launch their boats in preparation for afternoon sailing.

After 1400: Teams may do as they wish -- extend the public viewing period, close their base and prepare to go sailing, close their base and leave for the day, close their base to prepare for private and/or other team functions, etc. For the avoidance of doubt, teams may not dock-out for afternoon sailing until 1400.

Later that afternoon: ACM plans to invite all the teams to an informal reception at the Foredeck Club.


OTHER PROVISIONS

Protocol 16.1 requires that yachts still under construction must be declared though they are not required to be unveiled until later. Some definition needs to be agreed on as to when a yacht is still under construction, with enforcement as and if necessary by the Regatta Director with the advice of the Measurement Committee, so that teams do not attempt to avoid unveiling under the guise of still being "under construction." Declared yachts in VLC must be unveiled.

Yachts "under repair" must be unveiled except in extraordinary circumstances akin to major re-construction, and only with the prior approval of the Regatta Director with the advice of the Measurement Committee.

ACM (and teams for that matter) may use boats to tour media and other special guests through the Port America's Cup during the period 0930-1330; accordingly, teams shall not obstruct the normal waterside view of their bases and declared yachts that are on display.

Teams shall cooperate with each other to allow members of other teams to arrive by chase boat during the 0930-1130 viewing period.

Failure to comply with this procedure may result in a protest by a team or the Regatta Director, with the jury having available the usual full range of penalties including ordering a team to do another, proper unveiling on another day.

We will address media rights to this Unveiling Day, and it is intended to allow film and photos to be used for promotional use by all teams, but (as always) not by their sponsors without prior approval of the depicted team. ACM will of course have usual full media rights, but (like teams) not have sponsor use of individual team images without approval.

Each team will have a sign near each yacht (not affixed to or obscuring the yacht) identifying its sail number, and optionally with information about designers, builders, date of launch, etc.



Australia II started it with her infamous green
"modesty skirt" at Newport during the 1983 Cup.