KEY POINTS:
The possibility of an America's Cup syndicate having engineered a breakthrough that would make a swinging keel legal gained momentum yesterday.
The Herald reported on Monday that a syndicate had asked the measurement committee about the legality of such a keel, which would give a huge speed advantage
over the rest of the fleet.
Cup technical director Ken McAlpine yesterday held a surprise media briefing where he was questioned on the concept.
The briefing was announced just 30 minutes before taking place but almost all of the 12 teams were represented technically and legally.
The one team not represented was Chris Dickson's BMW Oracle Racing, who did not know about the meeting.
Alinghi sent legal representative New Zealander Hamish Ross and Emirates Team New Zealand were represented by trustee and legal representative Jim Farmer, QC, and designer Nick Holroyd.
Luna Rossa sent the biggest entourage, including syndicate head Patrizio Bertelli and design guru Tom Schnackenberg.
The high level of representation gave the biggest indication yet of the concern surrounding the possibility of such a technological breakthrough.
McAlpine kept his answers to questions involving such a keel to a minimum yesterday, answering either yes or no and offering little explanation. With a long history in the America's Cup, his job involves measuring all the boats to ensure they are within the rules.
He signed off New Zealand Challenge's bowsprit in 1992 and Team NZ's controversial hula at the last cup in Auckland. What could be gleaned from his answers yesterday was that it was legal to link the rigging to the keel but the rig loads could not be used to deflect the keel.
However, natural forces could be utilised to deflect the keel. The rig supports the sails that are powered through the natural force of the wind.
If that power was somehow being stored and used to reduce the keel deflection, then that appears to be legal.
Whether a team have figured out how to do this and whether it is legal is now the question. The suspicion remains that one of the teams - possibly Alinghi or maybe even BMW Oracle Racing - have.
The 19-20-tonne lead bulbs at the bottom of the boats' 4-metre-long keels keep them upright against the pressure on their large sails. The weight of the bulbs means the steel keel fin supporting them deflects under load when the boat heels over. The straighter the keel, the better the performance. Adjusting the keel by one degree could improve upwind stability as much as 3 per cent, a huge gain in this sport.
Yachting commentator Peter Lester said if the issue was a red herring as some had touted, "why did some of the smartest brains in the sport turn up?"
