COULD TECHNOLOGY HELP KEEP SAILORS OUT OF THE PROTEST ROOM?
Over the last year I’ve been fortunate to have one of the best seats in the house for SailGP: in the television production suites at Ealing Studios. It’s not as glamorous as jetsetting around the world but with a wall of screens showing every conceivable angle along with the live onboard comms there’s no fleet racing event in the world that attracts closer scrutiny.
And there’s another room in the studios just as fascinating – that of the umpires. No matter where in the world the racing is taking place, the panel of umpires sit within the TV production complex in London. With their headsets and screens they scrutinise every move as their fingers hover over buttons, the most important being the one that sends a penalty.
Another is the one that lets chief umpire Craig Mitchell talk directly to the sailors, the media and the viewing public to inform the offending team that they’re now on the naughty step and why.
Remote umpiring has been around for several years, but what I still find staggering, despite the distances and time zone differences, is the immediacy with which decisions can be made and delivered to the teams. So, too, is the level of detail and accuracy that umpires can work to for boats travelling at blistering speeds.
Aside from being impressed with what the best technology and the deepest pockets can do at the leading edge, there’s also a point that strikes at the heart of our sport and could help improve racing for all.
I’ve become increasingly concerned at what appears to be a growing lack of rules observance within the grass roots and how it threatens to erode our sport. In most cases outside of the professional events that can afford professional umpires, our racing is largely self-policed. From my experience this is leading some to think they can get away with breaking the rules by either shouting down their opponent, or simply ignoring the request for a penalty turn to be executed. The sad thing is that those infringing in this way are simply playing the odds, knowing that the chances of having to face the consequences are pretty slim.
So, while many of us have been infuriated at a brazen and audacious breach of the rules and the refusal of the other party to see the error of their ways, we also know that it’s Sunday afternoon/evening and it’s the end of the regatta and you’re about to head home. They know it, you know it, and – frustrated as you are – you don’t feel inclined to fire up the protest procedure. It’s likely the race committee feels the same way.
But
