Wild Oats XI still maintains its top spot in the competition from Sydney to Hobart despite a joint expression of disapproval towards a sailing vessel that had been rejected by an international tribunal of five individuals over the weekend.The second-place contender, Black Jack, alleges that following the completion of the race, Wild Oats XI failed to activate their own Automatic Identification System, placing them at a disadvantage as they were unaware of the exact whereabouts of the competing yacht during the event.
Wild Oats XI’s attempt to challenge the race committee was dismissed as invalid since it needed to be submitted by a rival. As a result, the Black Jack crew decided against lodging a complaint, instead calling for an investigation by the race committee.
The head of the international jury, Russell Green, stated that an inquiry was initiated by the race committee following a protest lodged by one of the race competitors. This raised concerns of a potential conflict of interest concerning the interpretation of the sailing rules.
Green asserted that a protest can only be considered valid under the sailing rules if lodged by a competitor who possesses information about a possible rule violation. Sailing is a self-regulated sport, devoid of referees and overseers, making it challenging to monitor and address rule breaches, thereby placing the onus on competitors to raise protests if necessary.
