A bit like a prize-fight, Tuesday was the official crew weigh-in, held dockside on the island of Nisida where all the teams are based, for the designated AC40 crews (and the reserves) of the teams contesting PR2 Naples.
As with a lot of one-design racing in sailing, there are strict rules governing all-up weight and in the AC40 class the desire is to equalise the yachts as much as possible to give the fairest racing and ensure that the best sailors win.
The all-up crew weight as stipulated in the AC40 Class Rule that is published on the Official Noticeboard in clause 3.6 is 360kg with an approximated maximum weight per crew-member of 90kgs for the four-person teams. The 360kg limit also includes “carried equipment and crew media equipment” as stipulated in the rule so that includes things like helmets, knives, microphones, headphones, air canisters etc.
So, what happens if the sailors come in overall underweight? The America’s Cup athletes are in peak physical condition, drilled every morning in the gym with relentless exercise programmes and fitness routines so most team members will be well under 90kgs (14.17 stone) even with the carried equipment. The answer lies in Clause 3.7 of the Class Rule:
“After crew weigh in, ballast in the form of bags of lead shot shall be added up to the value for “Crew, carried equipment & crew media equipment” specified in the mass table (360kg). This will be attached to the seat plinths of each crew member. Ballast will be distributed between bags to achieve a centre of gravity position of crew and ballast combined, when the crew are sitting in their respective seats, that is as close as possible to the equivalent of four crew members each of 90 kg (including carried/supplied equipment) sitting in the seats.”
In the America’s Cup everyone is looking for any advantage but once the lead ‘shot’ is in place in sealed bags no movement of the ballast is allowed as confirmed by Clause 3.8 in the AC40 Class Rule that says: “Ballast or other equipment shall not be moved for the purpose of changing trim or stability.”
In addition, the Class Rule specifies in Clause 10.5 the mass of carried equipment by each crew members as being 5.0kg when dry and 8.0kg “when soaked and allowed to drain for 1 minute.” Furthermore, clothing must not be designed to retain water for the purpose of increasing mass.
The results of the weigh-in are confidential with plenty of speculation shoreside about the variance between teams and the addition of correcting weight. That. Like many things in the America’s Cup, will remain a closely guarded secret.
