ncick,

Actually if you have been following this through the entire deal you know that the issue is not that they built a boat without knowing the rules, instead it is an issue of the defender writing a set of rules that are contrary to how LWL has been defined to date. Rudders have always been excluded from LWL measurement. By changing them to include rudders which have no effect upon LWL in terms of boatspeed, they have written them intentionally to either dsq BMWO or to force modifications that would seriously impare the boats abilities in terms of handling and speed. I do not know what class you sail on, but I sail both Tornados and A-cats. If I were to show up and all of a sudden niether boat measured because the rules of measurement had changed, than i would feel that they were changed to dsq myself and all other competitors in favor of the hosting club that had modified their boats prior to the regatta to make them fit the new rule. The other rule that is being manipulated is the ballast rule. In interpretation, BMWO has to wiegh in with ballast needed to have it measure in on the b-max. Alinghi does not under these rules have to wiegh in under load. ballasted under load the boat measures much closer to 115' thann the 90' LWL required.