Russel Bowler, an engineer of the principal design team of Farr Yacht Design, has issued a report on the deck failure of Young America. The report states the near sinking of the America?s Cup boat stemmed from inadequate repairs made by the syndicate?s crew without consulting the yacht design office or the boat?s builder. A poorly bonded area of the composite cored side deck failed, resulting in a later catastrophic failure that led the boat to nearly break into two pieces. The boat was built by Goetz Custom Boats, based in Bristol, Rhode Island, and in addition to Farr Yacht Design, involved Dirk Kramers of DKI Structures, Tiverton, Rhode Island.

The report cited that high tech carbon fiber pre-impregnated materials require high-tech servicing and maintenance and went on to state that "short cuts" in repairs could compromise the design and construction of the boat and lead to disaster. The report was released because insurance investigators had not yet issued a report on the November 1999 incident.