Alinghi want an engine in their boat...

lol... not to power the boat provide hydraulic power to help trim the massive sails on the cat.

What a bunch of clowns...

Russell Coutts managed to say: "Again, that's just ... As you can see, I'm speechless. An engine in an America's Cup boat?"

International sailing regulations, Rule 52: A boat's standing rigging, running rigging, spars and movable hull appendages shall be adjusted and operated only by manual power."

Alinghi have claimed the right to change the rules at any time without mutual consent.

A year ago this had gone too far. Now it's just pure comedy.

AC has been pure comedy since KZ-7, and even then it was probably equally farcical.....I was just too young to realise it. I could possibly have time for a sport like the AM, but not the way its is run atm

Just for Andrew, who may or may not recall biggie and drunken IRL AMC debates from the past (FU DB)

I dont mean to be bagging a sport in its own thread but I feel I need to qualify last nigghts slightly drunken post, for me the AM lost its charm way back when TNZ somehow found a loophole to challenge for the Cup in a non-cup year, without even having to go through a challenger series

Stars and Stripes responded by finding a loophole that meant they could turn up on a catamaran, which was effectively twice as fast as any yacht could possibly go...therfore making a mockery of the whole series


some facts ^^ may be slightly off, was a long time ago

Anyway it was then I decided this sports "rules" where just a joke.... and were going to be impossible for me to follow, its hard enough trying to work out the rules in rugby

It was mandated by the rules of the sport for situations of dispute under the Deed Of Gift rules because the holders, San Diego YC hadn't named the date for the next cup as they were required.

It was because of this race that the more stable system and boat design rules came into existence - screwed with since only by Alinghi who decided they want to change it all to make in hugely stacked in the defender's favour.

Things took a big turn for the worst a while ago when the challenger of record was a club effectively set up by Alinghi