Regatta Director Iain Murray shared specific safety recommendations with the America’s Cup teams and the Event Authority on May 22; the Review Committee that was assigned on May 16 has stopped short of giving its own recommendations due to liability and insurance reasons.
Murray’s recommendations include:
-Structural reviews of AC72 boats and wings
-Increased max sailing weight for the AC72
-A lower wind limit (reduced to 20 knots in July, 21 knots in August, and 23 knots in September)
-Enhanced sailor safety gear including:
- Buoyancy aids
- Body armor
- Crew locator devices
- Hands-free breathing apparatus
- High-visibility helmets
- Electronic head count system
-No guest racers aboard while racing
-No “ACRM Personnel” aboard while racing (originally intended to be a camera person)
-Additional support equipment, including a minimum of two rescue boats to each AC72, with one diver and one rescue swimmer per rescue boat, and one paramedic carrying an AED device on one of the rescue boats
-Round robins in the Louis Vuitton Cup reduced from seven to five
-Removal of fines for not competing
-If an AC72 capsizes while racing, the race will be awarded to the other AC72 to focus efforts on the capsized boat
Next up? Murray will form task forces with experts to define and expand on the recommendations for some of the specific gear, such as body armor and buoyancy aids.
