Yachting: Cup umpires jump ship

By Suzanne McFadden

Fears of radiation have forced worried umpires to bail out before today's first race of the America's Cup.

Just 24 hours after Team New Zealand won their fight to have on-board umpires for the first time in the Cup, the umpires decided they did not want to ride on the sterns close to television antennae.

Whether the digital microwave equipment transmitting television pictures is a health hazard is not known, but the concern was enough to sink the concept, disappointing both the defenders and the umpires.

The aerials are mounted on a frame at the back of the boats, where the observer was to stand in today's race.

Chief umpire Bryan Willis said concerns were raised yesterday, and a group of 30, including the challengers, defenders, TVNZ and a microwave expert, met in the afternoon.

"We discussed the perceived and real health hazards of these things," Willis said. "If umpires are to stay outside the safe distances, they can't be up against the frame.

"If you went back any further on Prada, you would require waterskis. If you went forward you would be among the runners, which is dangerous too."

Willis then put the question to his team of umpires.

"They had to think about having their heads right next to a microwave, and how their wives would feel about it," he said. "Working quite close to these things for three hours straight could be quite dodgy.

"The syndicates wanted a declaration that they would not get sued in 20 years' time.

"We are disappointed - we would have liked to try on-board umpires for the first time. But it will have to happen next time."

There were other minor problems - one of them the microphone headsets worn by the observers. The first frequency trialed interfered with the television signals. The second attempt upset the navigation electronics on board Prada.

Team New Zealand had wanted onboard umpires - a Kiwi innovation - so the sailors could be told "what the umpires are thinking."

In negotiating the sailing instructions with Prada, they held out for the observers but relented on immediate penalties.

"We are disappointed because this was something that brought a new dimension to the regatta, to enhance the decision-making process on the water," the syndicate said in a statement last night.

"The umpires have decided that they don't want to take a risk, no matter how small, so no on-board umpires in this regatta."

The next issue facing this regatta is one for the new race committee today - in what wind conditions will they start a race, and how will they move the course in one of Auckland's wild windshifts?

There is a concern about moving the fleet of spectator boats sitting around the diamond course if there is a sudden swing in the wind.

But race committee chairman Harold Bennett said he was looking forward to the challenge.

"How do we handle a 30-degree shift? Well, I hope we don't see one. If the conditions are that variable and unfavourable, then I doubt we would want to start."

Today's ever-changing forecast is for light southerly winds, around eight knots, which could hamper a race start.