On Wednesday, Phil Lawrence, the Regatta Director for The Ocean Race, announced the World Sailing International Jury has provisionally scheduled the hearing for 11th Hour Racing Team’s Request for Redress on 29 June at 1000. It will be an in-person hearing, in Genova.
Since the outcome of 11th Hour Racing redress hearing may affect all the fleet, the International Jury is obligated to make as fair an arrangement as possible for all boats affected and therefore wants to give the full IMOCA fleet the right to be present at the hearing to present their views and ask questions.
Accordingly, the International Jury, acting under Racing Rules of Sailing 60.3(b), will simultaneously consider redress for Team Holcim-PRB, Team Malizia, Biotherm and GUYOT envrionnement – Team Europe, following the collision at the start of Leg 7. The incident resulted in both 11th Hour Racing Team and GUYOT envrionnement – Team Europe retiring from the leg with damage and 11th Hour Racing Team subsequently lodging a Request for Redress.
The GUYOT team is sailing to its home port in France while 11th Hour Racing Team made repairs to its IMOCA and is heading towards Genova with the intention to race the last In-Port race of this edition on 1st July.
The World Sailing International Jury consists of six Jury members, including Jury Chairman Andres Perez
A Request for Redress is reasonably common in the sport of sailing and procedures for a hearing are well established as outlined below.
The relevant section in the Racing Rules of Sailing is Rule 62.1, which reads, in part:
A request for redress or a protest committee’s decision to consider redress shall be based on a claim or possibility that a boat’s score or place in a race or series has been or may be, through no fault of her own, made significantly worse by… injury or physical damage because of the action of a boat that was breaking a rule…and took an appropriate penalty or was penalized…
Along with Rule 64.3. Decisions on Redress: When the protest committee decides that a boat is entitled to redress under rule 62, it shall make as fair an arrangement as possible for all boats affected, whether or not they asked for redress. This may be to adjust the scoring (see rule A9 for some examples) or finishing times of boats, to abandon the race, to let the results stand or to make some other arrangement…
The decision from the International Jury on the Request for Redress will be communicated as soon as possible after it is reached.
Like Newport Buzz? We depend on the generosity of readers like you who support us, to help with our mission to keep you informed and entertained with local, independent news and content. We truly appreciate your trust and support!
