In an attempt to clear up some of the starting confusion that has plagued the sport over the past few years, the American Boat Racing Association will assign lanes before the start of each heat this coming season.
In the past, drivers were allowed to “jockey” for lanes before the start of each heat in order to seize preferred race lanes, most often by slowing down as much as possible to camp out in the inside lanes.
While many loved the “race before the race,” others complained that it provided some boats with an unfair advantage and took attention away from the race itself.
That jockeying led to quite a bit of controversy last season. Jean Theoret and the U-37 Miss Beacon Plumbing had a win at Seattle taken away after being called for being off-plane before the start. Jeff Bernard was awarded the win San Diego aboard the U-5 Formulaboats.com despite apparently cutting off Steve David and the U-6 Oh Boy! Oberto.
For the past two years, the ABRA has attempted to clean up the mess by…Â More info
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It’s the perfect hour for a leisurely cruise: late afternoon on a sunny Friday at a ritzy yacht club in Sarasota, Fla. But for the five men entering the marina, the next few minutes will be an adrenaline rush. Two of them approach the dock on foot carrying a tool bag, pretending to be mechanics. Three partners advance by sea in a 22-foot towboat. Their target: a 46-foot sport-fishing yacht worth $300,000. “She’s a beauty,” says Rudy Lamel, who’s leading this team of “recovery agents” who’ve spent weeks searching for this vessel.
The boat’s owners have fallen behind on their payments, so the lender has called National Liquidators…Â More info
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The Louis Vuitton Pacific Series showed over the past two weeks how good an offseason event in America’s Cup boats can be. Under the loom of volcanic Rangitoto Island, with the city skyline scraping the clouds, 10 teams of the world’s best sailors traded tacks, jibes, barbs and laughs in a friendly competition in towering Cup boats that got better as it rolled along.
Kiwi arch rivals and onetime bosom buddies Russell Coutts of the U.S. entry BMW Oracle and Brad Butterworth on Swiss Alinghi wound up facing each other in challenger finals …Â More info
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