Letter from Sebastien Col 07/12/08
Dear Sailors,
The Monsoon Cup 2008 as the last and decisive event for the World Match Racing Tour and Championship, ended up being very frustrating for us.
After winning the last race of a best of 5 series of the quarter finals against Peter Gilmour on the water, a red flag protest by Gilmour was decided by the International Jury in his favour. We are very disappointed and surprised about this decision which not only did put us out of the race for the Monsoon Cup but even more importantly for the battle for the ISAF World Championship of Match Racing.
Most of you certainly have heard about this incident on which we would like to share our point of view.
The facts are from the International jury report :
Monsoon Cup 2008 - Decision of the International Jury
Quarter Final, Match 5 (Gilmour v Col)
Gilmour Request for redress
Jury Panel:
Bill Edgerton (GBR IJ), John Standley (AUS IJ), Shane Borrell (NZL IJ), Richard Slater (AUS IJ) and David Kamer (AUS)
Facts :
Wind conditions approximately 12 knots.
On the leg to the finish, Col had a leeward overlap on Gilmour (1 to 2 m of Col's bow overlapped with Gilmour stern. Col had no RRS 17 on his course. The yachts sailed a course to port of the finish mark and below the finish line extension.
Both yachts gybed towards the finish mark at approximately 2 hull lengths and had to sail a tight reach back towards the finish mark. Neither boat could keep it's spinnaker field and drawing and both at realeased the spinnaker halyards and were in the process of retrieving their spinnaker.
The spinnaker of Gilmour passed over the finish mark and crossed the finish line followed by the bow of Col and then the bow of Gilmour.
The Race Committee signalled the race win to Col and Gilmour displayed a red flag.
The International Jury had the majority of members who were International Jurrors, 3 countries represented but was not properly constituted in that there was more than 2 members from one group. The hearing proceeded under Appendix C6.4(b) and C6.6(a)
Jury Conclusions :
The course for the Yachts after the gybe required them to lower their spinnakers and both yachts proceeded to do so.
The location of Gilmour's spinnaker during the retrieval was a normal position, given the conditions and the course to the finish.
Gilmour's spinnaker crossed the finish line first.
Jury Decision : Redress Granted
The Race Committee are instructed to award the race to Gilmour.
Definition - FINISH (as modified by Appendix C2.1) A boat finishes when any part of her hull, or crew or equipment in normal position, crosses the finishing line in the direction of the course from the last mark after completing any penalties. However, when penalties are cancelled under rule C7.2(d) after one or both boats have finished each shall be recorded as finished when she crossed the line.
We do not agree at all with this decision because :
Peter Gilmour's kite can not be considered in a normal position (CALL UMP18)
Gilmour's kite did not pass the finish line from a course side (see definition of «FINISH»)
Gilmour’s kite was flapping after the gybe during 15’ without any clear intention from the crew to retreiving it.
Gilmour's crew did not try to rehoist the kite when their boat bare off around the finishing mark as we did (see picture of the finish, we have rehoisted our spinnaker in a "normal position")
We question this decision even more as the international jury was not properly constituted with more than 2 members from Australia.
The Monsoon Cup 2008 and the missed opportunity to have a proper battle for the World Championship title will leave a bad memory for us after our successfull 2008 match racing season.
Nevertheless we would like to congratulate Ian Wiliams and Bahrain Team Pindar for their 2008 world title.
Video available on
http://marcbouet.blogspot.com/2008/12/petite-question-en-vido-pour-arbitres.html
Sebastien Col
