The 33rd America’s Cup?
All you need to know...
29 January 2010
The 33rd America’s Cup match has been delayed so many times, it is hard for the serious players, let alone the spectator to understand the latest reasons. So let me try to explain:
A. Alinghi 5 has sails which were produced on a mould in America, then shipped to Switzerland to be glued together and finished.
B. GGYC says the whole boat, including sails, must be ‘constructed’ in the country of origin, eg Switzerland, and has taken the matter to court.
C. SNG say that, if Alinghi 5’s sails are banned, Alinghi will forfeit the series rather than race and then find they are disqualified.
"We have been clear: If BMW Oracle succeeds in disqualifying the Defender's sails then there will be no Match," Meyer said. "Russell Coutts [BMW Oracle skipper] will have won the America's Cup for Larry Ellison without sailing."
D. Everything else is just ‘smoke and mirrors’. No other legal issues are involved.
So why have BMW Oracle raised the question of sails when they know that American-made sails were used by almost all teams in the 32nd AC event without any complaint or protest. Why has it become such an issue now?
Tom Ehman of GGYC says: ....... the 33rd Match is not a normal regatta. It is not even a normal America’s Cup. It is a “Deed of Gift match” in which the clear wording of the Cup’s ruling document must be adhered to by both teams.
This statement suggests that, in previous Cup events, the use of American sails was a ‘gentleman’s agreement’ between all the teams involved. Given the bad blood that exists between these two teams, it is clear that agreement or compromise is simply not possible at this late stage. It is also nearly certain that the Supreme Court will not rule on this case until after the series has begun.
Unless someone ‘blinks first’, racing will go ahead on February 8th, weather permitting. What happens after the ‘grudge match’ has been settled, and one team has ‘won’ the America’s Cup? It seems quite likely that the whole show will end up back in court. Why?, because the two teams have failed to reach agreement on so many points up to now, it seems very probable that one or the other will find a reason (genuine or spurious, depending upon your viewpoint) to protest the whole event. The fact is, they have to go racing on February 8th just to satisfy the New York Supreme Court that they were acting in accordance with the Court’s ruling; that is: if you are going to race, the race must start no later than 10 months after the Court ruled that you should!
It will still be a thrilling spectacle and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a true ‘Battle of the Giants’. We will be there on Monday, February 8 (not the12th as previously reported) and we hope to see you there.
IS FEBRUARY GOOD FOR YOU?
21 December 2009
Is February good for you? I sincerely hope so because I want as many of you as possible to get down to the America’s Cup port and cheer on BMW Oracle as they (hopefully) kick the stuffing out of Ernesto Bertarelli and his Team Alinghi.
Bertarelli who, five years ago showed vision and determination by selecting Valencia as the first European venue for an America’s Cup series in 2007and who went on to win the Cup for a second time. Bertarelli who, in his misplaced arrogance, dictated new terms for the next Cup series that many teams found unacceptable, leading to a series of court cases that have dragged on for two and a half years.
The event was scheduled to start on February 8th but has now been put back to Feb 12th to give both teams the chance to get their craft here (Alinghi from Ras Al Khaimah in the Arabian Gulf, BMW Oracle from San Diego,USA) and ‘up to speed’.
At this point, the main focus should be on how to stage the event in such a way as to create a new sense of excitement for the America’s Cup, a trophy which has been the subject of controversy ever since it was first awarded in 1851.
The two contending giant multihulls built for this one-off series are capable of speeds in excess of 80kph (50mph). Anyone who wants to view the event from the water will either need a very fast boat or some extremely powerful binoculars. Even then, things will happen so fast (by yachting standards, at least) that spectators will be left wondering what happened. The best bet may well be to watch the event on television. Even assuming this is an option, much of the excitement of the live action will still be lost.
A possible solution would be to mount television cameras in the tethered balloon, a feature of the 32nd Cup series, but with a racecourse 10 miles long and at least one mile from shore, the camera will need to be especially good. A better solution would be to use an airship, capable of following the action without the turbulence caused by helicopters (although these will certainly be in evidence).
On land, the America’s Cup port houses a giant screen, allowing visitors to get the atmosphere of the event. This needs to be able to accommodate a larger audience than before, since it should be the prime area for visitors keen to get a good ‘feel’ for what is going on at sea. The port might also consider building viewing platforms so that members of the public can get a closer look at these two monstrous craft as they prepare to do battle.
The spectator event itself should be organzised by Jorge Martinez Aspar of Valmor Sports as, heaven knows, he probably needs the cash after the poor turnout at Formula One Valencia. With one proviso, it must be affordable. No-one is going to pay huge sums of money for what could turn out to be a one-sided match. But they willl turn up if the price is right and they are promised the chance to hiss and boo Mr Bertarelli as he hands over the America’s Cup to the winners.
Mike O’Neill
NB This article does not necessarily reflect the views of thisisvalencia.com or its management.
VIVA VALENCIA
12 NOVEMBER 2009
Team Alinghi have agreed that the America’s Cup ‘Deed of Gift’ series will, after all, take place in Valencia next February. The series will be fought by Cup defenders Team Alinghi against BMW Oracle, who challenged the Swiss team following the uproar resulting from Alinghi’s selection of a ‘tame’ Spanish challenger in July 2007. The ensuing litigation has dragged on through two and a quarter years and 8 court hearings.
The contestants will meet in two outrageously-modern multihulls, quite unlike any previously craft seen in America’s Cup racing. Team Alinghi have chosen a giant catamaran, whilst BMW Oracle have gone for a trimaran. Both craft are capable of speeds in excess of 50 knots (92.kph), so the closing speeds will be terrifying; especially for those on board!
Many details of the event are yet to be decided but one thing is certain – this contest will be a spectacular no-holds-barred fight to the finish.
America's Cup Latest:
OCTOBER 27TH 2009
In the latest round of court battles with Team Alinghi, BMW Oracle’s hosts Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) of San Francisco have stated:
“GGYC has served our reply brief and exhibits on SNG and filed them with the NY Court. Our latest filing is a point by point rebuttal of SNG's opposition papers to our motion asking the Court to invalidate RAK as the venue and return the AC 33 Match venue to Valencia in February, 2010. The hearing on this venue motion, and our motion for fair rules previously briefed (and papers posted below), is Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 11am, Supreme Court of New York County, 60 Centre St., New York City.” 19 Oct 09
Team Alinghi, through their club Societe Nautique de Geneve SNG, replied:
Geneva, Switzerland - (2009-10-27)
“By filing their eighth legal action against the Defender of the America's Cup in two years, Larry Ellison and his Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) have demonstrated yet again that their true intention is to win sailing's most prestigious trophy in court instead of on the water. After failing in their attempts to circumvent the terms set in the governing Deed of Gift, Ellison is now seeking to snatch the Cup from Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) with a new round of baseless allegations,” said Fred Meyer, Société Nautique de Genève Vice-Commodore. “As two-time winner of the America's Cup and organiser of what was widely considered the most successful America's Cup event ever in Valencia, Spain, in 2007, SNG and Alinghi will continue to fight for their legitimate rights in order to promote the sport of sailing around the world. We hope that GGYC will abandon this unsportsmanlike conduct and either join the competition on the waters off Ras Al Khaimah this February or let other teams who want to participate challenge for the Cup,” he concluded.
Alinghi team skipper Brad Butterworth said: “BMW Oracle should clean up their unsportsmanlike behaviour with a dose of saltwater and sunshine and challenge for the Cup on the water. Otherwise they should stand aside and let other teams compete.”
"The complaint is an affront to the America's Cup, to the UAE, to our country's relationship with an important ally, and to the judicial process. It is just a PR stunt. There is nothing in the complaint that hasn't been the subject of prior or pending legal proceedings. Basically, GGYC doesn't want to race SNG on the water after it disenfranchised 19 other clubs from competing in an elimination series and dislocated hundreds of sailors and participants in the sailing industry,” concluded lead counsel for the Société Nautique de Genève, Barry Ostrager of Simpson Thacher & Bartlett.
It is perhaps significant that, where GGYC have simply stated their intention to continue their court action, SNG used their reply to continue maligning Team BMW Oracle and questioning their motives. It would be nice to think that, following the court’s decision later today, a line can be drawn under this sorry chapter in the history of the America’s Cup..........but don’t hold your breath... If Ernesto Bertarelli can be persuaded to put the bad feelings that exist between him and Larry Ellisson to one side, Valencia would welcome both teams back with open arms.
5 August 2009
Sorry Folks, it ain’t gonna happen in Valencia
Do you really care?
The long-awaited ‘grudge match’ between Alinghi and BMW Oracle is closer to being arranged........but not much closer.
For those of you still following this story after two years, yes two years of court cases and verbal sparring, this will not come as any surprise. For those who are reading about this for the first time.......it would take too long to explain, so read the back-pages if you want the full story. If you want a brief summary, that’s impossible..... but I’ll do the best I can.
Back in 2003, Team Alinghi won the Americas Cup in New Zealand. One of their competitors was Oracle. When Team Alinghi held onto the Cup after beating Team New Zealand in Valencia 2007, BMW Oracle had already been eliminated. Alinghi then set about changing the rules for the next contest, which led to BMW Oracle taking court action in protest. This resulted in a hearing before a judge of the US Supreme Court, following which, a ‘Deed of Gift’ (or grudge) match was to be arranged. This is effectively a series of races to settle the dispute and is sailed in a type of boat chosen by the challenger at a venue chosen by the defender. Now, if all had gone smoothly, this match would have taken place in Valencia in July 2008. But Team Alinghi challenged the judge’s decision and so now, 22 months later.... but you get the picture, I hope.
At the latest court hearing (there have been five so far, by my count), BMW Oracle’s lawyers failed to convince the non-sailing judge that allowing a rule change would cause untold problems, and Team Alinghi carried the day. A further hearing on 10 August is supposed to allow BMW Oracle to submit its Certificate of Documentation, which describes the boat they will be using for the event.
Meanwhile, Team Alinghi have announced that the ‘grudge match’ will take place next February; not in Valencia, as originally proposed but in Ras al-Khaimah, a fly-blown strip of desert in the Persian Gulf, presumably chosen because the local sheikh was able to convince Ernesto Bertarelli of the ‘desirability of this venue’. The fact that hardly anyone (apart from interested parties and die-hard ‘tifosi’) will bother to turn up at such a venue appears not to matter in the least. When we think back to the glamour and glory surrounding Team Alinghi’s win two years ago, we must all hope that this whole tawdry business is wrapped up as fast as possible.
Sorry Folks, it ain’t gonna happen
The reason I have been slow in putting pen to paper (ok, finger to key-board) recently is an increasing awareness that, notwithstanding two major and costly defeats in court, Ernesto Bertarelli’s ego is so huge, he just cannot accept defeat. The result of this is that, in spite of Golden Gate Yacht Club’s (BMW Oracle’s home club) offer to bury the hatchet and agree to a conventional America’s Cup series in Valencia next year, Société Nautique de Genève (Team Alinghi’s home club) have instead accepted the alternative of a head-to-head ‘Deed of Gift’ match in 90 foot multi-hulls at a venue to be decided.
SNG statement: issued yesterday (23 April), said:
“At a meeting today in Geneva, the America's Cup defending yacht club, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), confirmed that it accepts the Golden Gate Yacht Club's (GGYC) challenge for the 33rd America's Cup and informed representatives of the American yacht club that its team, Alinghi, will be ready to race their 90x90ft boat (as stated in the GGYC Notice of Challenge) in 2010.
SNG expressed its willingness for the challenger selection to be open to other teams and has encouraged GGYC to do so by offering them more time for teams to prepare if necessary. It was also stated that the SNG would be flexible and ready to discuss other terms of the 33rd America's Cup such as race format, venue or calendar.”
Now, much as I look forward to the spectacle of two giant multi-hulls (catamarans or trimarans...or one of each) hurtling towards one another at 50 knots plus in a winner-takes- all ‘grudge match’, the idea that this should be the way forward to future America’s Cup contests is just plain stupid. For a start, once one of these two giants has crossed ahead of the other.......game over, bar some unfortunate accident. These ‘boats’ are just so fast that, unlike Formula One where a great start can often be undone, the leading boat can just sail away and...well, where’s the sport in watching that?
The idea that the (alleged) eighteen other teams, waiting in the wings for the outcome of this conflict, would now willingly commit themselves and their sponsors (!) to the design, build and trial of these multi-hulled monsters really beggars belief. These teams have been willing to toe the party line thus far in the vain hope that they would get at least a year’s worth of low-cost sailing in the existing armada of AC yachts. GGYC (BMW Oracle) had already stated that, if
they won the case, they would be happy for the 33rd AC Challenge to carry on in the existing boats provided that SNG (Alinghi) accepted some modest amendments to the rules that SNG had instigated.
GGYC statement: Valencia, Spain, 23 April 2009 – “A delegation from the Golden Gate Yacht Club and its team, BMW ORACLE Racing, met in Geneva today with representatives of SNG/Alinghi. GGYC’s clear and straight-forward proposals for a fully competitive, conventional America’s Cup in monohulls were rejected by SNG, who insisted on a regatta in large multihulls under the Deed of Gift (“DoG”). SNG asserted that the Deed of Gift match with GGYC would take place in May 2010. This is in defiance of the recent decision and orders of the New York courts that the DoG match take place in February 2010.
GGYC has asked SNG to put their position in writing, and hopes to have another meeting with SNG soon to clarify issues related to the DoG match. GGYC is disappointed that SNG categorically rejected our proposals for a conventional regatta. GGYC will continue to negotiate in good faith as Challenger of Record to put the America’s Cup back on the water as soon as possible.”
The question of dates is important. The New York Supreme Court ruled that racing should take place within ten months of judgement, which means by the end of February 2010. If the two teams don’t like the idea of racing in cooler European waters at that time of year, they could always be sure of a warm welcome in New Zealand, where Alinghi first won the trophy back in February 2003.
Bertarelli’s Big Problem
Bertarelli’s big problem, and it really is the gorilla in the room, is that almost everyone who has any true feelings for the Americas Cup, feels that BMW Oracle were right to challenge the CNEV decision. Even most of those who have backed Alinghi throughout must have been secretly relieved that a potential take-over of the Americas Cup tradition seemed to have been averted. Whether because they needed sponsorship for their teams or because it affected their livelihood being on the sidelines waiting for a ruling, it was in their interests to be nice to the Defender and to avoid upsetting him on any of the points which were dear to his heart. This conduct will have given Bertarelli a distorted view of the situation.
The Supreme Court decision gave GGYC and Larry Ellison the moral high ground. If they agreed to a modified set of rules for the next series (which they did), the Deed of Gift match would be forgotten (which it hasn’t), a proper series could get under way and Ellison would be the sailor’s champion. If he had disagreed and the Deed of Gift match went ahead then, win or lose, Bertarelli would still be seen as the megalomaniac who wanted to control every aspect of the Americas Cup.
The result of that could be a situation where everyone loses interest in the Cup and that would be very sad.
Mr Bertarelli has probably had so much advice, both paid for and volunteered (I’m not sure which is more suspect), that he is no longer sure which way is up. It is not possible to offer comment as a disinterested party because that very admission should exclude one from the right to comment. For what it is worth, those of us who value the integrity of the Americas Cup deed of gift, whilst acknowledging its shortcomings, firmly believe that a series of some sort needs to be raced by July 2010 latest. There are many reasons for this, not least of which is the ever-growing lack of interest in the event. Yes, any marketing expert will say this interest can be rapidly revived. All I would say to such an ‘expert’ is: put your money where your mouth is – if you can create a global TV audience of 500M by some agreed date during the next series, you get paid. If not – you don’t. I don’t think we’ll see too many realistic offers on those terms.
No, Mr Bertarelli is not about to take any more advice, so the best we can do is to ask him:
1 What does he hope to achieve by pursuing a path that seems likely to result in the demise of sports longest-running trophy event?
2 How does he feel about the hundreds of families of professional sailors whose lives have been blighted by the three-year stalemate that his actions will cause?
3 If he could rewind to 7 July 2007 when, as two-times winner of the America’s Cup, the world was at his feet, what would he do differently?
If Mr Bertarelli, in quiet contemplation with his own conscience, can answer all three questions openly and truthfully, then we might just be permitted to witness a sea-change in the man whose single-mindedness and determination are legendary.
Mike O’Neill
Valencia 24 April 2009
AMERICAS CUP BACK ON THE WATER!!
No, you read it right, this is no April Fool, this is the real thing!
For those of you who need a brief update on the reason for the long delay: Following Alinghi’s successful defence of the trophy in July 2007, they accepted CNEV, a newly-formed Spanish Yacht Club as Challenger of Record. The two teams set about changing the format and rules for future Americas Cup series. A number of other teams were outraged by this and one of them, BMW Oracle, commenced legal action against Alinghi in the New York courts, alleging that CNEV was not a valid Challenger of Record.
A court hearing in November 2007 found in favour of BMW Oracle but Alinghi appealed and, in June 2008, managed to reverse the original decision. BMW Oracle then counter-appealed and the whole thing was brought to an end with a New York Supreme Court ruling yesterday, 2 April 2009. An extract follows:
'Since CNEV has failed to show that at the time it submitted its Notice of Challenge it was a 'club fulfilling all the conditions required by' the Deed of Gift, it does not qualify as the Challenger of Record for the 33rd America's Cup competition and Supreme Court was correct in declaring GGYC to be the valid Challenger of Record.'
SNG, Alinghi’s home club said yesterday: “It has consistently been our view that the America's Cup should be fought on the water. Today through the American courts the Golden Gate Yacht Club has won the right to challenge the Société Nautique de Genève. We will now discuss the terms for the regatta with them and will prepare our defence of the 33rd America's Cup.”
GGYC, BMW Oracle’s home club have yet to comment, but a statement from Tom Ehman of GGYC following the first court hearing still seems relevant: He said ““From the very beginning this whole process has been about stopping the defender from imposing a wholly one-sided set of rules on the Cup that was strongly opposed by the great majority of challengers.”
CNEV issued a statement saying: Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEV) and Desafío Español have received the news of the New York Court’s decision with disappointment.
The court’s decision confirms Golden Gate Yacht Club as the Challenger of Record, to the detriment of the Spanish club.
So what now? The situation was best summed up by Richard Gladwell of Sail-World.Com: “The fate of the America's Cup lies in the hands of Ernesto Bertarelli and his clubs and team.
Take the hard line and insist on meeting Golden Gate YC in a multihull and there will be another round of Court argument and Appeal, which will not be resolved for another two years, plus the 10 months taken from todays date for the match to be held - effectively three years.
Or, he can take the magnanimous line, agree to operate under Mutual Consent and run a multi challenger event, which could be underway in 12 months time (April 2010) with the first preliminary regatta being sailed off Valencia in the months time.
Your call, Ernesto.”
There will be more stuff to resolve before the show is well and truly back on course but we will keep you posted as the news breaks. Good sailing!
Mike O’Neill
Tuesday, 09 December 2008
Americas Cup Delayed Again
The future of the America’s Cup once more rests with the lawyers following the failure of Team Alinghi to provide the documents requested by BMW Oracle.
In notifying Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) of the decision, Marcus Young, Commodore of Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) said: “Over the past 17 months, we have made a number of constructive suggestions to resolve the dispute outside of court and get the America’s Cup back on track. Yet SNG and your defense apparatus have consistently refused to negotiate with us in good faith.”
Alinghi’s response was: “Yesterday's announcement by BMW Oracle and Golden Gate Yacht Club is not a surprise as they have never shown any interest in joining the competition alongside the 14 teams, currently officially entered. Instead, at every turn, they have chosen to insist on pursuing their selfish legal strategy.”
The next, and final, court hearing commences on 10 February 2009 in the New York Supreme Court of Appeal. Meanwhile, Ernesto Bertarelli’s attempts to stage a pre-America’s Cup regatta here in Valencia next June are looking decidedly shaky.
The Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, which starts in Auckland on 31 January, will put a serious dent in the budgets of those teams who have already entered. Other, newer teams will struggle for sponsorship money until a court decision is handed down; probably sometime in April. This will leave little time to get their teams up to speed and many will prefer to conserve their resources for the main event, whenever and wherever that might be.
It is impossible to predict which way the final Appeal Court decision will go but it seems probable that the delay will make a 2010 America’s Cup series look very doubtful. The best we can hope for, if BMW Oracle win their appeal, is for a spectacular ‘Deed of Gift’ series in 90ft catamarans. But it will be nothing compared to what we witnessed here in Valencia last year during the 32nd ACC Series.
Saturday, 06 December 2008
America’s Cup Deadline Approaches
The two open letters below, one from AYRE Challenge and the reply from Russell Coutts of BMW Oracle, seem to show a closing of the chasm between Ernesto Bertarelli of Team Alinghi and Larry Ellison of BMW Oracle.
The documents referred to by Coutts are critical to the reaching of an amicable settlement of this long and expensive war between two of the richest men in the world. Bertarelli’s original plans for the 33rd AC Challenge were unacceptable to Ellison and to many other teams. In an effort to overcome the resulting 15 month stalemate, Bertarelli organized meetings in Geneva with other challengers which resulted in these plans being significantly revised. Team BMW Oracle were not at these meetings and their own suggestions for avoiding further court action were ignored. Bertarelli has declared a deadline of 15 December for entries and Coutts has requested copies of the proposed plans by 8 December, giving his team a week to study and digest the plans.
As the AYRE Challenge letter states: “The only important issue is to remedy the reasons that caused BOR’s action”.
Quite simply, if BMW Oracle receive the documents and proceed to nit-pick and prevaricate over relatively minor details, I believe they will lose the goodwill and respect of the majority who have supported their stand.
If BMW Oracle receive the documents and, following clarification of certain points, feel able to re-submit their challenge, then it seems likely that the America’s Cup will be able to proceed as planned in Valencia in 2010.
If Team Alinghi fails to provide the documents requested by 8 December, then BMW Oracle are, in my opinion, perfectly justified in pursuing their claim through the courts.
This will be very sad for all those who have had to put their lives on hold while this drama has unfolded, but it would be worse to see this 157 year old trophy brought into further disrepute.
Thursday, 04 December 2008
An open letter from BMW Oracle's Russell Coutts to the America's Cup Challengers in reply to the letter from Ayre Challenge - below
BMW ORACLE Racing CEO and Skipper Russell Coutts has replied to Ayre Challenge skipper's oppen letter with another open letter to the AC33 Challenger community. In it he says that his team is willing to consider entering AC 33 “by 15 December even though it is a totally arbitrary deadline” but he needs to see “the current drafts of the protocol, event regulations, and competition regulations.”
He adds, “If we do not receive these materials as requested – or our review of them shows there has been insufficient progress in resolving fairness issues – we will cease our 17-month effort to resolve this dispute with the Defender and other Challengers, and will rely on the New York State Court of Appeals to decide.”
Here is the full text of his letter.
Dear America’s Cup colleagues,
As you know, my colleagues and I at BMW ORACLE Racing are eager to join the Challengers for AC33 and we’ve made genuinely constructive suggestions and concessions to make that happen, including embracing ISAF’s willingness to mediate this dispute.
We share your interest in having a world-class field of Challengers for our sport’s pinnacle event, and appreciate your belief that BMW ORACLE’s participation is essential.
We are willing to consider entering the competition by 15 December even though it is a totally arbitrary deadline. However, inasmuch as we’ve been excluded to date from the discussions, we need further clarity on fundamental issues (which you say have been addressed) to meet our concerns, and those of others, about fair and competitive rules.
Specifically, we ask that you arrange to have the Defender send us by Monday, 8 December the current drafts of the protocol, event regulations, and competition regulations. This would give us a week to properly review them against our Ten Point Plan and determine our course of action before the 15 December deadline.
If we do not receive these materials as requested – or our review of them shows there has been insufficient progress in resolving fairness issues – we will cease our 17-month effort to resolve this dispute with the Defender and other Challengers, and will rely on the New York State Court of Appeals to decide.
With respect to the lawsuit, we are moving into the home stretch with a decision on our appeal expected early next year. Given the stakes involved in preserving the integrity of this great event, we do not believe a few more months presents an unreasonable delay. As we’ve said before, if we prevail, as we expect, we will work toward having a fully competitive, conventional multi-challenger regatta with fair rules in 2010.
Still, we are willing to give a settlement outside of court one last try. In the cordial, friendly spirit of your letter, I hope you will help move this process along by arranging to provide us the documents we request.
Sincerely,
Russell Coutts
CEO and Skipper
Tuesday, 02 December 2008
An open letter from Ayre Challenge's Pedro Perello to BMW Oracle's Russell Coutts
Dear Russell,
The reasons that induced me to write this open letter stem from the respect I have towards you and your team.
Ayre challenged for the America’s Cup more than a year ago, hoping to take part in a competition that thanks to the excellent organization set up by ACM and the Valencian and Spanish public institutions became a world reference and example of what a global sports competition should aspire to.
The success of the 32nd edition in the summer of 2007 in Valencia surpassed all expectations and was also due to the active participation of all Teams, with BMW Oracle Racing undoubtedly being a clear example. Ayre was born because of the 32nd edition being so successful.
Unfortunately, any judicial procedure in any field causes serious setbacks to the proper development of any activity and in this particular case all teams are suffering from this eternal lawsuit that, without pointing any fingers, looking for reasons or blaming anyone, has paralyzed the 33rd edition of the Cup.
Alinghi has recently decided to get sailing back on track and reactivate the organization. They have gathered all teams that have legally entered and started a process of rebuilding the competition. I truly believe this was the correct procedure because the current situation is greatly detrimental to all involved but also to the image of the America’s Cup.
After three meetings in Geneva, all participating teams have been able to confirm Alinghi’s predisposition to carry out the necessary modifications to the Protocol, the Event and Competition Regulations, as well as the design of the new box-rule, in a completely democratic way. As a result, great advances have been achieved in a short time.
Ayre considers that at this moment we objectively have the evidence that demonstrates the change in situation. Race Officials will be selected from ISAF officials. The Protocol and the Event and Competition Regulations are being modified in a democratic way, open to all registered Challengers. We believe that going back to an exhaustive 10-point list, most of which have already been addressed, is not the most cordial way to reach an agreement. Nor is it a considerate gesture towards the teams present in the meetings.
We want to believe BMW Oracle Racing wish, as they have repeatedly stated, the return to an open competition, open to all Challengers, as soon as possible.
Ayre thinks that at this moment the only important issue is to break the current deadlock, without any accusations or analysis, without declaring winners or losers in a dispute that has hurt all parts equally. The only important issue is to remedy the reasons that caused BOR’s action, within the democratic framework Alinghi has put in place with all the teams participating in the 33rd America’s Cup. A DoG Match will irreversibly damage the possibility of having a multi-challenger edition in the near future.
As a challenger that represents the prestigious Yacht Club of Denia, one of Valencia’s and Spain’s most important yacht clubs, we think that the effort and patience shown by the Valencian and Spanish public institutions should not be wasted.
The deadline for inscription in the 33rd America’s Cup is on December the 15th. After that date, no team will be able to join. Ayre thinks that BMW Oracle Racing’s presence is essential and its absence will strongly weaken the competition. We also think that BOR has the right to participate, as long as it’s done before the deadline and within the formal framework.
Let this friendly letter be a demonstration of our admiration towards a team that through its perseverance and capacity has demonstrated that, despite suffering sports setbacks, because of its spirit of fair competition it has been able to come back and compete.
Dear Russell, the America´s Cup needs the three-time winner of the world’s oldest and most prestigious sports event, and probably the world’s best sailor, to be part of it, adding to its prestige.
Sincerely,
Pedro Perelló
General Director
Ayre Challenge
Sunday, October 26, 2008
America's Cup Latest
Well, it appears that Team Alinghi’s announcement that they are “taking the necessary steps to get the 33rd America’s Cup back on track”, failed to acknowledge the conciliatory proposals put forward by Larry Ellisson of Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) in his 17 October letter to Ernesto Bertarelli of Société Nautique de Genève (SNG)
In essence, the letter comes down to nine points
1 GGYC support plans to up-date AC regatta to extent possible under current Deed of Gift.
2 Agrees some SNG proposals to update have merit but should not be implemented without serious consideration and then only after consultation with ‘the important stakeholders’ [presumably Trustees, recent challengers and prospective challengers]
3 GGYC agrees to end legal action if SNG agree to run 33rd Challenge with similar rules to 2007 event.
4 Strongly supports a one boat per team to help cut costs, provided there is a return to similar rules to 2007 event.
5 GGYC not in favour of Defending team (Alinghi) being able to join in Challenger Selection Series as this risks diluting the ‘impact and suspense of an America’s Cup match’.
6 GGYC would be in favour of 5 if ‘points earned during the CSS against the eventual challenger are applied to the America’s Cup Match’ or
7 GGYC would be in favour of 5 if ‘the races involving the Defender do not score (or lose) points for any Challenger vis-à-vis the other Challengers in the selection series.
8 GGYC believes selection of the new type of yacht should be decided in consultation with all interested parties. Alternatively, retain the existing design for one more Match as this would be the cheapest route.
9 GGYC agrees 2010 would be a good target date for the next Cup series.
Note to Points 5, 6 & 7: GGYC are saying they accept that a one-boat campaign (to reduce costs) means that the Defender (Team Alinghi) would be at a disadvantage in not being able to race-tune effectively. It is only for this reason they would agree that, for the first time in the Cup’s 157 year history, the Defender be allowed to tune up against the potential Challengers.
What GGYC do not accept is that these ‘tune-up’ races should be allowed to build up points for the eventual Challenger as in previous Selection Series, since the Defender could potentially influence the results and therefore the eventual outcome of the Series.
This two-page letter suggests the two opposing teams are very close to having the same goals and yet, from Team Alinghi’s announcement just six days later, it seems that once again, doubt and indecision could find us waiting for a New York court’s ‘final’ decision in the New Year.
Mike O’Nei
thursday, october 23, 2008
America's Cup Latest
As autumn takes hold here in Valencia, there comes just a glimmer of hope for an end to the 16-month long dispute between cupholders Team Alinghi and would-be challengers BMW Oracle.
Team Alinghi and their yacht club, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) have announced that they are “taking the necessary steps to get the 33rd America’s Cup back on track” along with their chosen Challenger of Record, Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEV) “and all challengers keen to join the competition.”
The announcement comes just weeks after Ernesto Bertarelli of Alinghi met with Larry Ellisson of BMW Oracle in San Francisco. Whether some form of agreement was reached has not yet been disclosed. However, it cannot have been a coincidence that Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC), Ellisson’s club, offered to end its court action immediately if SNG agreed to hold: “a conventional, multiple challenger regatta under rules similar to those that governed the event in 2007.”
A decision from the New York Supreme Court of Appeal is still awaited. For BMW Oracle to be a party to SNG’s proposal would require them to drop their legal action which disputed the validity of CNEV as the Challenger of Record. Considering the vast sums of money expended by both parties in this monumental legal wrangle, it seems unlikely that Ellisson would forego the opportunity to reverse the June decision without some fairly substantial say in the procedure leading up to the proposed regatta.
Rules for the 33rd America’s Cup would be “discussed and accepted by all those joining the competition”. If agreement can be reached by the 15 December closing date for entries, it is planned that the Cup matches would take place in Valencia (subject to final negotiations with the Spanish authorities) in 2010. Racing would be in a new class of yacht which has yet to be decided. There are also plans to have pre-regattas in 2009, using the existing America’s Cup yachts.
Let us hope this really is the end of this long-running saga and let battle re-commence on the high seas off Valencia! More news soon.........
03 AUGUST 2008
BMW Oracle Appeal against Tuesday’s Decision
Following Tuesday’s surprising decision by the New York Supreme Court of Appeal re-instating Spanish yacht club CNEV as a valid challenger for the America’s Cup, Golden Gate Yacht Club have announced that they have lodged their own appeal. In a statement issued yesterday they stated: “We believe the Challenger of Record has to be a real yacht club. It cannot be something that is manufactured with a defender to set up a one-sided event. This decision would set an absurd precedent,” Tom Ehman, the club’s spokesman said. “We believe we have an excellent case for winning on appeal.”
GGYC had thirty days in which to decide whether or not to proceed. The good news is they took the decision quickly; the bad news: summer recess and the Court is unlikely to set a date much before October.
Brad Butterworth, team skipper of Alinghi and four-time America’s Cup winner, comments: “I’m disappointed that given the opportunity for a multi-challenger competition as a result of the Appellate Court decision, BMW Oracle has chosen to further delay the 33rd America’s Cup.
Comments such as this only go to underline the bad feeling generated by the events of this past year. The chance of the two team principles reaching a mutually acceptable solution seemed to disappear last October when GGYC, home of BMW Oracle, won the first round in a series of court hearings.
An interesting report in Saturday’s Daily Telegraph from sailing correspondent Tim Jeffery: ‘One idea floating around is what would happen if, say, HRH King Juan Carlos invited both sides to mediation. To refuse would be a slight beyond description. Both Bertarelli and Ellison have personal contact with Spain's sailing King, each expressing one time hopes to have the next Cup in Spain.’
This is not as crazy as it might appear – HRH Juan Carlos is believed to have played a significant role in getting Valencia selected as the venue for the 2007
Americas Cup. Whilst he would dearly love to see a Spanish Club as Challenger of Record, he is probably aware that the current storm will not go away until a less controversial challenger is chosen. Both Alinghi and BMW Oracle have said they would hold the next event in Valencia but, until a decision is reached, no-one can make any plans or attract the major sponsors which are a vital ingredient of this ‘Formula One of the Seas’.
The best news is that, if all else fails, this is the ultimate court of appeal. Chief Judge Judith Kaye will have the final, definitive say in the outcome of this whole sorry business. It will be interesting to discover just how much all this litigating has cost our two heroes. Probably enough to finance an entire America’s Cup Challenge.........?
A footnote: although we have been (temporarily, I suspect) denied the ‘Grudge Match’ between Alinghi and BMW Oracle in 90ft catamarans, the two teams are in fact facing one another this week in 40 ft catamarans at Cowes.
Mike O’Neill
29 JULY 2008
AMERICAS CUP SHOCK ANNOUNCEMENT
In a surprise announcement released just over one hour ago, The New York Supreme Court decided by a 3-2 majority that the Spanish Challenge from CNEV in July 2007 was valid after all. The surprise is that most observers had assumed that BMW Oracle were the accepted challengers and that a ‘Grudge Match’ between Oracle and Cup-holders Alinghi would take place in 90ft catamarans. The only questions appeared to be where? and when?
Desafio Espanol chief Augustin Zulueta told The Associated Press: "We're very hopeful that this means an end to this long process and that it will allow all of the teams to race the next America's Cup at Valencia."
The Court also gave CNEV 10 months to prepare for the regatta, meaning that a challenge could take place in 2009 as originally scheduled.
However, this will depend on whether Golden Gate Yacht Club, home of BMW Oracle, decide to contest the appeal. Tom Ehman of GGYC said today “We are surprised and disappointed by this ruling. We will now be taking legal advice and considering the next step.”
Ernesto Bertarelli, the President of Alinghi said: We are delighted with this result; we can now continue with our vision of a multi-challenger event, The decision by the court validates our actions and enables us to put the Americas Cup back into the water.
Agustin Zulueta, the Technical Director for The Spanish Challenge made this statement: Our team is now highly motivated and expectant of being able to compete in the waters off Valencia as Challenger of Record, but equally because all the syndicates will now be able to compete and not only two as was the case previously.
Valencia the reaction to the news was one of quiet celebration, with Valencia Mayoress Rita Barbera stating that the latest decision was 'Very positive for Valencia. Once again Valencia will be the site where a new conventional Americas Cup series of races will take place.'
It is hard to believe that Larry Ellison, head of BMW Oracle will allow matters to rest here. He has invested millions of dollars since last July, both in legal fees, recruiting top yachtsmen and designers, not to mention building some hugely expensive state-of-the-art catamarans.
More as we get it...
Mike O'Neill
28 March 2008
Americas Cup - latest
Just one week ago, it seemed that all the legal stuff had been settled and that a date for the ‘grudge match’ between Alinghi and BMW Oracle would take place this coming October. Then Alinghi announced they couldn’t possibly be ready in time and indicated they wanted the match in June 2009. In desperation, the Oracle team went back to court to force Alinghi to comply with the terms of the Deed of Gift which states that a challenge must be carried out within 10 months. The original challenge was issued in July 2007 and, even allowing for the delay caused by the court hearing last November, it would appear that Alinghi were given more than enough time to prepare.
In the midst of all this came a damning indictment of Team Alinghi’s behaviour in the form of a letter from Vincenzo Onorato, head of Mazcalzone Latino. Onarato had been quietly trying to broker a deal between the two sides since last July. Having come close to finalizing a compromise from Oracle last autumn, Onorato presented the revised protocol to Alinghi “who did not even have the good manners to reply with a "no thanks, we're not interested." Onarato has kept quiet until now in the hope that Team Alinghi and especially Ernesto Bertarelli would finally see reason. The letter, which has been sent to every syndicate head and media outlet, is quite outspoken: “The whole problem stems from the protocol drawn up by Alinghi for the 33rd America's Cup which was presented at the end of the regattas in Valencia”, says Onorato. He went on to liken the Americas Cup to an enormous engine , “driven by glamour, status and tradition”. “Alinghi's decision to take the Cup to court has effectively brought this enormous engine to a halt.” In answer to Alinghi’s claim that Oracle’s action was “to win in court that which they had failed to win on the water”, Onorato points out that “Oracle's primary motivation was .............. to achieve an honest and reliable competition”.
It is fair to say that, of all the challenger teams, BMW Oracle was probably best able to stand up to the might of Alinghi. They had the full support of Golden Gate Yacht Club and have behaved impeccably throughout this fiasco. In explaining the current situation, Tom Ehman of GGYC said ““From the very beginning this whole process has been about stopping the defender from imposing a wholly one-sided set of rules on the Cup that was strongly opposed by the great majority of challengers.”
In Alinghi’s press release, Ernesto Bertarelli claimed: “Now Larry Ellison seeks to win the America’s Cup through its legal strategy rather than racing Alinghi on the water.”
Possibly in recognition of the urgent need to resolve this issue, the New York Supreme Court has agreed to grant a hearing next Tuesday 2 April. We will have to wait until a decision on this latest twist is given; who knows when?
Mike O’Neill
21 March 2008
Americas Cup this year – or next?
The long drawn-out court case between 2007 Americas Cup winner Alinghi and would-be challenger BMW Oracle appears to have been finally decided in favour of BMW Oracle.....or has it? Following a hearing this week in the New York State Supreme Court, the appeal lodged by Ernesto Bertarelli of Team Alinghi was thrown out. Golden Gate Yacht Club GGYC), home of BMW Oracle indicated the match would take place in Valencia this October, 2008. Lawyers for Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), Alinghi’s home club said they ‘look forward to getting the fight back on the water and meeting BMW Oracle Racing on the start line of a Deed of Gift Match in July 2009”.
So, when will it happen, if it happens? It looks very likely that the 33rd Americas Cup will be sailed in 80ft catamarans and there will only be two teams competing: Alinghi and BMW Oracle. Whether the racing takes place this year or next, it is clear that it will be a ‘grudge match’ and that is how it is likely to be sold to the long-suffering public. The animosity between the two billionaire team-leaders, Ernesto Bertarelli of Alinghi and Larry Ellison of BMW is guaranteed to bring out the press in force. It is less likely to draw the crowds we saw during 2007 and that is a shame. Catamaran racing on a short course can be very exciting but, with only two teams featured, interest is unlikely to be aroused in any but the most dedicated fans of sailing.
It is what happens next that will be interesting. Bertarelli has already committed to holding the 34th Americas Cup series in Valencia and, if he wins this match, is unlikely to risk further bad publicity by switching to another venue. Larry Ellison has a different obligation. GGYC would dearly like to get the Americas Cup back in the USA; in San Francisco to be precise. There will be enormous pressure on Ellison to ‘bring the trophy home’. And that would be very sad for Americas Cup racing because, as we saw last year, the event can generate so much more excitement and interest if it is held in European waters than it can ever hope to achieve back in America. Mr Bertarelli has a lot to answer for but, if he can successfully defend the trophy for a third time, this writer for one will be willing to forgive him.
Mike O’Neill
21 March 2008
A game in which everyone loses
In early December, I questioned whether Ernesto Bertarelli would emerge as a loser from the fiasco developing around the non-event that is the 33rd America’s Cup. Or would he accept the ‘loss’ of the court case brought by Golden Gate Yacht Club and re-take the moral high ground by negotiating a revised race protocol with Larry Ellison of BMW Oracle?
The answer appears to be a resounding......silence. Bertarelli has signed up a firm of New York lawyers who have challenged the court’s decision, forcing a new hearing on January 14, 2008. Attempts by numerous challengers to get Team Alinghi round a table for discussions appear to have failed.
The story so far....
Team Alinghi which is owned by Ernesto Bertarelli first won the America’s Cup in Auckland, NZ in February 2003. He brought the Cup back to Europe and, after reviewing a list of six possible venues, chose Valencia to host the 2007 Challenge. Eleven teams challenged for the right to meet Alinghi in the final. One of the main challengers, BMW Oracle owned by American billionaire Larry Ellison, was surprisingly knocked out in the quarter finals when Chris Dixon their CEO and skipper reportedly cracked under the pressures arising from his dual roles. Luna Rossa and Desafío Español were also eliminated, leaving Team New Zealand to face Alinghi. In an exciting final series of seven races, Team Alinghi emerged victorious following a one-second victory in the last race. Days later, Ernesto Bertarelli announced that he had accepted a challenge from CNEV, a new club formed to represent a wider Spanish interest but still with Desafío Español as their team. The reason for this sudden announcement became clear when a new ‘protocol’ (a set of rules and regulations) for the next America’s Cup was published. The new protocol appeared to give the Defender almost unlimited powers to decide who was allowed to race and in what type of yacht. This was greeted with dismay by many of those who had fought so hard to make a success of the 32nd challenge and several teams announced they would not take part in another challenge under these new conditions.
Several days later Golden Gate Yacht Club, home of BMW Oracle, issued a formal challenge to Alinghi, saying they believed the CNEV challenge was ineligible. When Alinghi failed to respond, GGYC initiated a court case in New York, where the America’s Cup Deed of Gift originated. On 25th July, Larry Ellison announced that Russell Coutts, three-times winning helmsman of the America’s Cup, was the new CEO of BMW Oracle. Coutts, who steered Alinghi to victory in 2003, later fell out with Bertarelli and his contract prevented him from appearing for another team in 2007.
Meanwhile Bertarelli solicited challenges from several other teams including Shosholoza, Team Origin and Team New Zealand. It later came out that Bertarelli had privately agreed to recompense Team NZ if the 33rd AC series did not take place in 2009.
In late November, the New York court ruled in favour of GGYC. As Tim Jefferies of the Daily Telegraph said in his recent article: ‘Alinghi owner Ernesto Bertarelli now has three choices: to appeal the decision, to sit down and hammer out a vastly more equitable set of rules than those he agreed with the Spanish CNEV club in July, which triggered this dispute, or he can force BMW Oracle Racing owner Larry Ellison to live by the literal wording of his legal challenge. That would mean only the Swiss and Americans sail in the next Cup using multihulls....’
On 7 December, Ernesto Bertarelli issued an open letter defending his vision for changing the way in which future America’s Cup series were conducted. Bob Fisher, veteran UK sailor and journalist responded with a scathing open letter in which he said: ‘I cannot agree that what you are proposing to do is for the benefit of the America's Cup other than turning it into a revenue source for Alinghi and ACM.’ Fisher went on to say: ‘You propose to change the very dynamic of the event in a way that can only reduce it to the mediocrity of many other regattas.’
So who wins in this situation? Well, Bertarelli gets to keep the trophy for as long as these disputes last but is that ‘winning’? Larry Ellison may feel vindicated by the New York Court’s decision but does he really feel like a winner? What about the people, including all the other challengers, their designers and supporters; how do they feel? And the City of Valencia, whose leaders had the vision to create a magnificent new harbour complex; how must they be feeling now?
No winners will emerge from this sorry mess, apart from the lawyers. As things stand, the best we can hope for is a ‘sailing spectacular’ featuring two big catamarans sometime in 2009; possibly in Valencia. Why catamarans? Because this has now become an arms race between two super egos and neither will be satisfied with a one or two-second victory; this will have to end in a crushing defeat for one or the other. He who blinks first will lose, just like the shoot-out at the end of a second-rate western. Trouble is, who will be watching? The sponsors, who contributed so much to the success of the 32nd ACC series, will have packed their bags and left long ago. The other challengers, just barely existing with skeleton staff and shoestring budgets will have gone home. Team Origin announced last week that they have put their Cup plans on hold. Sir Keith Mills, head of Origin said "I remain totally committed to the America's Cup but I am extremely frustrated and disappointed. What we need is clarity to plan future campaigns."
The much-touted six million visitors, only recently awakened to the extravagant drama of America’s Cup racing will find other diversions. And the people of Valencia will, once more turn their backs to the sea in disappointment.
Mike O’Neill
Tuesday 25 December 2007
Bertarelli the Loser?
I wonder if Ernesto Bertarelli realised the full implications of his decision to impose sweeping changes to the protocol for the 33rd America’s Cup? He must have realised that Larry Ellison would almost certainly invoke the Deed of Gift and must have considered the possibility of losing a court case. But did he realise how much more he stood to lose in this battle? Not only the champion’s high ground which was his by right; not only the moral high ground which he gave away (recklessly, some would say) by insisting upon the new protocol but more than either of these, the aura of the winner. This ‘aura’ includes many things which the winner takes for granted: the status, the loyalty, the access, all things which make life (and tasks) easier and more rewarding.
No one can doubt that Bertarelli and his Team Alinghi have, by sheer determination and a pursuit of excellence, taken the America’s Cup Challenge to a new level. If a mistake was made, it was in thinking that it was their exclusive right to determine the way forward. The initial thought was good: the America’s Cup needs to evolve if the recently-developed increase in public interest is to be retained and built on. The execution of it, namely encouraging the Spanish to become Challengers of Record and thereby ensuring an acquiescent partner in pushing through the changes, was not so good. When Golden Gate Yacht Club, home of BMW Oracle initiated their lawsuit, it was time to take stock of the situation. Instead the situation was allowed to deteriorate to a point where there was no going back.
So what can Ernesto Bertarelli and his team do to recover their lost status? When an honest man realizes that he has made a mistake, he will admit it and make a genuine attempt to put matters right. This means accepting that the new protocol agreed with Desafío Español has to be ratified by BMW Oracle as the new Challenger of Record. Before the court case had been decided, Larry Ellison and GGYC official Tom Ehman had offered a nine-point modification to the new protocol which was supported by at least three other teams. If Bertarelli is prepared to step forward and publicly accept this revised protocol, there will be a collective sigh of relief from just about everyone involved. And Ellison would have little chance of imposing further changes without upsetting GGYC and re-taking the role of ‘bad guy’.
Whether there is still time to secure a new overall sponsor for a 2009 Cup or for the proposed new 90-foot design to be finalised and built are questions that will no doubt be answered in the coming weeks. The burning question right now is whether Ernesto Bertarelli has the courage to accept this ‘loss’ and take the steps needed to put Team Alinghi back on course as winners.
Americas Cup Postponed?
Following the 8 November announcement that the 33rd America’s Cup would take place in July 2009 America’s Cup Management, acting on behalf of defenders Team Alinghi declared on 22 November that the event would have to be delayed. The reason for this was uncertainty surrounding the decision of the New York Supreme Court over the validity of the Spanish Challenge (CNEV).
Today (28 Nov) we learn that, in the words of Justice Cahn of the New York State Court: “The court concludes that CNEV’s challenge is invalid, and that GGYC is Challenger of Record pursuant to the Deed.”
Team Alinghi now have three choices:
1 Accept that they were ‘over-zealous’ in their imposition of a new protocol and hammer out a compromise with BMW Oracle, the official Challenger of Record.
2 Fight it out on the water in a craft chosen by BMW Oracle (rumoured to be 80ft catamarans) and risk losing the Cup.
3 Appeal against the NYSC decision.
Whilst it would be nice to think that Option 1 is the only choice worth considering, events of the last few months suggest that this is by no means the obvious choice for Mr Bertarelli. Sadly, the Spanish Team and their press can hardly be counted on to offer a dispassionate opinion on this whole sorry affair. The same has to be said of the other teams who surrendered to the Swiss billionaire’s persuasiveness. The British press have been muted in their comments, Tim Jeffery of The Telegraph talks of ‘hammering out a vastly more equitable set of rules......’ whilst Matthew Pryor at The Times says: ‘The case has been a power struggle between two of the richest men in the world and in the battle of the billionaire sailors and team owners, Larry Ellison, the American software magnate and Oracle owner, has emerged victorious.....’.
As a result of all the delay and confusion Rolex, who looked likely to replace Louis Vuitton as sponsors of the 33rd America’s Cup, appear to have had second thoughts. One can hardly blame them; they can hardly lend their precious name (and money) to an event that cannot seem to decide what it is doing or when it is going to do it.
The one ray of hope in this whole affair must be the gentlemanly attitude of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, whose spokesman Tom Ehman said: "Certainly it's our view, and we believe this is a consistent view among the other challengers, to have a proper, traditional, multi-challenge regatta here in Valencia in 2009 with a challenger selection series," Ehman said. "We want to do it with mutual consent, not having the defender dictate terms to us."
Whether we can look forward to an America’s Cup series here in 2009 remains to be seen.
Thursday 8 November 2007
At a meeting today in Barcelona (yes, I know, we were confused too but it’s Barcelona Boat Show time), the six teams currently entered to contest the 33rd America’s Cup agreed that the series proper would start 18 July 2009 in Valencia.
This decision follows months of wrangling between Team Alinghi, current holders of the trophy and BMW Oracle; a wrangle which eventually ended up in the New York Supreme Court. A judgement has yet to be handed down, so the five challengers and Team Alinghi decided to carry on as if nothing had happened and announced the racing timetable
The warm-up will begin end of June 2008 with Act 1 held in Valencia, sailing the existing Version 5 yachts. Act 2 will be held in another major European city (yet to be decided) during September 2008, also in Version 5 yachts. Act 3 will take place in Valencia in April 2009 when, for the first time, a fleet of the new 90 foot yachts will race together.
Now, an extra 12ft in length may not sound much but when you learn that the new boats will carry around 50% more sail area yet only 3 more crew, it is not hard to imagine there will be some spectacular racing to be seen. Previous events stipulated that the all-up weight of crew and their clothing may not exceed 1500kg; that’s around 88kg per person. This restriction has been lifted for the new boats which means we are going to see some of the biggest people in the world walking the streets of Valencia in the near future!
The trials will start on 2nd May 2009 and will take the familiar form of Round Robin series, where each team gets the chance to pit themselves against their opposition at least twice. The difference this time is that Alinghi will be part of this series; a measure designed to reduce cost by eliminating the need for each team to need two boats for trialling purposes.
Current challengers are Desafío Español, Emirates Team New Zealand, Team Origin from UK, Team Shosholoza from South Africa and Audi Team Germany.
New teams are expected to announce their challenges in the coming weeks.
©2007/2008 Mike O'Neill
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