As with most media, AC journos have a bit of a pack mentality. "Groupthink" emerges in the media center, and the bulk of them dash off similar stories on the same theme. Scanning yesterday's output and the groupthink theme emerges: no surprises.

However, there are a few veteran journos who can see the forest from the trees, or are keen(er) observers of the passing scene. Day after day, month after month, indeed Cup after Cup, they come up with fresh angles and the real insights that go outside or well beyond the pack's pick theme du jour.

To those in the know there were some surprises out there yesterday. Not necessarily in the results, but the less obvious decisions and subtle choices -- personnel, tactical, sail and other equipment, etc. -- made by several of the teams, and the changes to and performances of some of the yachts.

One journo who very often has a fresh and interesting perspective is Yachting World's Matthew Sheahan. His story on the YC website last night captured perfektly the far and away most interesing racing story of the day, the FRA-ESP gate incident on the south course in Flight Two:


To receive one penalty is unfortunate, to receive two careless. But to notch up three penalties after one mark rounding must have left the French wondering what on earth they had done to receive such a beating from the umpires. Even more galling for them was the fact that the issue saw their slim lead go to the Spanish who, having won their first match of the day for their first race in their new boat ESP88, were in no mood to hand it back.

But while the triple penalty at first seemed harsh on the French, you had to hand it to the Spanish who created and deftly exploited an opportunity within just a few boats of the leeward mark.

The situation began with the French leading into the gate and aiming for the right hand mark of the two for a conservative drop and round up onto the breeze. By hoisting their headsail, the Spanish made it look like they would do the same, the French relaxed. Just as they did, the Spanish threw in a gybe to which the French had to match. With more speed and in just a few seconds, the Spanish caught the French and gained an overlap forcing the French to give them room to round. But the French refused to acknowledge this and closed the door on the Spanish, preventing them from rounding the mark and leaving ESP-88 no option but to round up on the wrong side of the mark.

The umpires took a very dim view of this and gave the French a penalty for the professional foul and a couple more to penalise the substantial advantage that they had achieved as a result.

As part of the umpire's duties, informing the boats as to when an overlap has been achieved has formed one of the most recent developments in the on the water judging and the light system on board Cup boats was been designed to make it crystal clear when an overlap has been established. Presumably, the umpires felt that despite being informed that the French had ignored the situation and closed the door regardless even thought the overlap light had been illuminated.

The French side of the story will no doubt be that the overlap was established rapidly from an unlikely position and gained at the very last second. But the fact remains that the overlap was established and the Spanish had every right to water around the mark.

It's not often that one manoeuvre makes a story in a preliminary match, but in this case the issue was an absolute classic and one that will be referred to for some time to come.

Full story


Yesterday's results may not have been surprising, but peel back a
layer or two on some of the onions and there is often more to be seen
than might otherwise be visible to the unitiated, or the unsuspecting
scribe.