Posted by Some brief comments on the statement by the Sunrise skipper and owner, Tom Kneen.
Firstly he is right to be upset, having a victory snatched away from him and his crew in this manner.
Like most of us, they primarily sail for the pleasure of it but their almost unique double of two classics in the one season must have put the icing on the cake only for it to be taken away some 27 hours later by a Race Committee decision.
The happenings in Malta have done the sport of offshore sailing no favors at all and only time will tell how the reputation of the Royal Malta Yacht Club and the Rolex Middle Sea Race has been damaged.
I am not surprised the Sunrise skipper’s feelings have festered as it is hard to see how those involved can see that their process was and is error-free.
Mr. Kneen’s statement in the last line of Para 3 or “The Story So Far” is perfectly correct that it is up to the competitors whether they continue or not, a fact that is fully supported by RRS Rule 3 which I will quote in its entirety “The responsibility for a boat’s decision in a race or to continue racing is hers alone”…
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