Downtown Volvo

Who will snap up Cayard first...

Grant Dalton's Amer Sports One reacted to the Race Committee's decision not to proceed with their protests by submitting a request for redress over lost ground because of adhering to Cape Town's Traffic Separation Scheme where others did not.

The Amer Sports One team suggested that all teams had at some point either entered the scheme and sailed along the incorrect lane, ie against the flow of traffic, or crossed one of the lanes in at an angle other than the specified 90 degrees.

Though the request for redress was accepted, and the Race Committee happy for it to proceed, the International Jury found the request to have been submitted outside of the 24 hour time limit allowed for by the Sailing Instructions. Surprisingly the Amer Sports One crew decided not defend their late submission and offer reasons for it's delay and so the redress was dismissed. "The International Jury is required to assess whether there are good reasons to extend the time limit," Bryan Willis, Chairman of the Jury explained. "But when no good reason is presented, we are obliged to dismiss the request."

While part of the Amer Sports One team was organising and submitting the redress request another part started searching for a replacement crew member for Keith Kilpatrick who resigned due to his weakened condition as a result of his intestinal blockage during the leg. Kilpatrick would have recovered in time for some of the later legs but, and probably after a bit of a push, Kilpatrick decided to resign from his position. The reason given was that it would allow the team to find a replacement who could stick with the team for the duration of the event. It has been announced that Swedish Finn and Star legend Fredrik Loof will be filling the gap when the boat starts leg three.

Meanwhile on Gunnar Krantz’s SEB watch captain David Rolfe has decided to leave for personal reasons, while New Zealander Rodney Keenan was always planning to step down temporarily for this leg as he had a previous commitment for the Sydney-Hobart race.

Replacements have already been found in American Tony Rey and New Zealander Sean Clarkson. Rey took part in the race on board Chessie Racing four years ago and went on to become part of the afterguard of the America’s Cup challenger, Young America. Clarkson has previously done two Whitbreads with Dalts on New Zealand Endeavour and in 1997/8 on Toshiba. He has also taken part in three America’s Cups and the Olympics as bowman on a Soling.

So who will Cayard be joining in Auckland...