Trash a threat to Team New Zealand's 'hula'

By HELEN TUNNAH

Team New Zealand's rivals have asked officials if a piece of seaweed jammed inside the black boat's radical new "hula" would break the rules.

They also want to know what would happen if a plastic bag got stuck there.

And how anyone could prove whether the seaweed simply became jammed during racing or was shoved there deliberately.

Chief measurer Ken McAlpine has confirmed that if seaweed did become stuck between the hull and its false hull appendage, nicknamed the "hula", Team New Zealand would have to answer some questions.

The hula is a design breakthrough which has split the America's Cup camps. It fits snugly against the hull, separated by a few millimetres and attached in one place.

Although supporters have praised Team New Zealand's creativity, critics question whether it can ever be proven that the hula never touches the hull as the rules require.

The device is aimed at improving a boat's waterline length, increasing speed.

Team Alinghi of Switzerland last week asked a series of questions of the official measurer, and it is thought the issues included debris becoming lodged in the tiny gap between the hull and hula.

McAlpine has already ruled both Team New Zealand's boats legal, but said that outlining how must remain confidential.

He leads a team of four measurers who get privileged access to syndicates for regular inspections of boats to ensure they comply with the America's Cup class rules.

McAlpine said measurers had worked with Team New Zealand for several months, checking and rechecking that there was no illegal contact between the hula and hull.

"It is confidential information between the measurers and Team New Zealand how we have got to that stage.

"We just use a fair degree of common sense with applying a series of tests that have been running over the past four months to establish that it doesn't touch."

Both Alinghi and Oracle BMW Racing, the two teams racing in the challenger series final, have indicated they will not lodge protests over the hula.

But Alinghi may still be working on their own version of the device.

nzherald.co.nz/americascup

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