By HELEN TUNNAH
America's Cup sailors are to be drug tested for the first time under an agreement being finalised between yachting officials and the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency.
Both banned performance-enhancing drugs and recreational drugs such as cocaine or amphetamines would be included. Team New Zealand and the challengers
have welcomed the planned testing, saying the high-profile event must be shown to be clean.
The International Sailing Federation (ISAF) is expected to endorse the testing regime soon so it can be in place at least by next month's semifinals of the challenger series.
Drug agency executive director Graeme Steel said he would have preferred testing to have started before the regatta began on October 1, but a final agreement was "pretty close".
"We think it's crucial that testing occurs so that New Zealand can continue to show it's strongly for drug-free sport.
"We have a fairly strong view that it's probably the biggest sporting event in New Zealand, and it's an event that is more and more about the strength and power of the sailors, as much as their sailing ability.
"Testing will be primarily competition testing, but we would want to reserve the right for out-of-competition testing as well."
He said only sailing crew would be tested.
Louis Vuitton regatta director Dyer Jones said the possibility of testing had been written into the racing conditions so sailors and syndicates had been on notice to expect it.
He said if a sailor returned positive A and B tests, he would be banned from racing and referred to ISAF and national yachting organisations for disciplinary hearings.
However, a boat would not be thrown out of the cup if a sailor failed a test.
A syndicate would be affected only if it breached fair play rules, such as being shown to have supplied the sailor with a banned substance.
Sailing in the challenger series resumes next week with the eight team quarter-finals.
nzherald.co.nz/americascup
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