Ten days ago, McCaw's Kirkland-based
OneWorld challenge allowed the Eastside Journal
a rare glimpse into the secretive construction process
that is in full swing in a Sedro Woolley warehouse,
near Seattle.
Phil Kaiko, who designed the winning cup boat for
the '92 America 3 syndicate, was the first of three
experts designing USA65 and USA67. On OneWorld,
he is joined by veteran designers Lauri Davidson
and Bruce Nelson. Among them, the trio has designed
four of the last five winning America's Cup boats.
When design work began in August 2000, each of the
designers used past experience to come up with separate,
quarter-scale models, Kaiko said. The 20-foot boats
were tested for lift and drag in special water tanks
in Washington, D.C. Each of the designers has a
different style, Kaiko said.
A team of 25 is building the two 80-foot carbon-fiber
boats from scratch, even creating an enormous oven
to bake the hulls. Next month, the first of the
boats will be shrink-wrapped and shipped to Auckland,
New Zealand, where it will be assembled and launched.
OneWorld hopes superior computer technology and
good design will give it an edge on the water. Three
Microsoft engineers who live on the Eastside are
volunteering hundreds of hours to create a computer
program to monitor weather, performance and wear
and tear on the boat. The program will be used to
improve speed during trial races.
While the construction team labors in Sedro-Woolley,
the boats' keels are being built by Ford in Michigan,
the rigs are being made in Nevada, and the sails
are being stitched in Auckland. The team hopes to
assemble the first boat in Auckland in time for
a March launch.
-In-house
racing spectacular (12/18/01) (source
: NZoom)
A year out from the
start of the Louis Vuitton Challenger series, the
intensity within the challenger syndicates has already
reached a level that memory suggests hadn't been
reached within days of the last campaign let alone
months. Perhaps it's the knowledge of what lies
ahead which is acting as such an effective spur.
Last time round there was an element of naivety
about how intense the competition would be from
day one but word from on the water says that if
the OneWorld challenge is anything to go by, the
in-house racing is right up there now.
The level of competition was revealed by former
Team NZ grinder Craig Monk in conversation with
Peter Montgomery after a rather special day at OneWorld.
The Seattle syndicate had organised a surprise visit
for New Zealand's Laser Radial World Champion Michael
Bullot who was boarded USA 55, Dennis Conner's old
Stars and Stripes, with Peter Gilmour at the helm.
Sparring with him out on the Hauraki Gulf was former
Young Australia skipper James Spithill on the old
America True USA 51 and once they engaged it was
all on.
A grinning Spithill told PJ, "I don't know if we
are more aggressive than him but we are definitely
trying to mix it up with him. The racing is so close
and the results don't really mean much.It swings
both ways and you both have you turns at winning.The
most important thing is that the team gets so much
out of this. We're trying different combinations
and as we can see early on we've got such a strong
team."
PJ suggested to Gilmour that it seems Spithill doesn't
know who the boss is and seems to have no fears
for his job, a gibe which earned the Gilmour grin.
But a former Black Boat crewman shed a different
light on the duels he's a part of - Craig Monk clearly
impressed by the level of competition in OneWorld's
practice racing.
"It's a lot different to what we experienced at
Team New Zealand actually," said Monk. "Gillie likes
to get in there and throw the boats round and I
thought we were going to T-bone a lot of the time.
But we don't and we haven't had any major crashes
but we are getting a lot closer than we used to
down the road."
It's just training ...
A
second accusation for Sean Reeves (11/16/01) (source
: madforsailing.com)
Last month, Sean Reeves,
a former Team New Zealand rules adviser who helped
set up One World, was identified as the man alleged
to have offered $6 million worth of One World design
and technical secrets to the rival Oracle Syndicate
in a phone call to Kiwi sailor Chris Dickson, the
Oracle helmsman.
Now, in a sworn declaration before a court in Seattle,
GBR Challenge's general manager David Barnes said
Reeves approached him to sell information on the
Team New Zealand and One World boats for $1 million.
According to David Barnes, the information allegedly
being offered was far more detailed and included
measurement details for the '95 and 2000 Team NZ
black boats (extensive information about the revolutionary
Millennium "X" Rig, the drawings and deck
plan for the successful cup defender NZL 60) and
details of One World's plans.
In his declaration Barnes says he told Reeves it
was illegal for him to receive the information under
the America's Cup protocol and he also said Reeves
responded that there were ways around that.
On hearing about One World's legal action against
Reeves, Barnes decided to provide the information
to One World for submission to the court and a hearing
is due to be held in Seattle next Monday.
Barnes's decision to make this statement will weigh
heavily against Reeves, who has denied having made
a similar offer to Oracle Racing's Chris Dickson.
With Barnes and Dickson making similar allegations,
Reeves will have to call on all his skills as a
lawyer to persuade the court of his innocence in
the matter.
The New Zealand Herald
reveal the man accused of trying to sell secret design
and technical plans worth $6 million about OneWorld
(also accused of trying to pass information about
Team NZ) is Sean Reeves, a 40-year-old former lawyer
who left Team New Zealand last year and lured others
with him to the Seattle-based One World syndicate.
The case hinges on a phone call Sean Reeves made to
Chris Dickson, who leads the California-based Oracle
Racing team backed by computer billionaire Larry Ellison.
Dickson alleges that during the July 17 conversation,
Reeves offered to sell him design and technical secrets
about One World and TNZ.
In a declaration to the court filed in California,
Dickson said he phoned Reeves back after receiving
a message from him. "He said that he held knowledge
from the design and technical perspective of the OneWorld
Challenge programme and the previous Team New Zealand
programme.
"Reeves also said that he had come to a financial
settlement with One World that was less than he had
been expecting and that he was looking to recover
some of his losses. "Reeves told me that he held line
plans, rig plans, keel plans and deck layouts but
did not specify for which boats or which teams." After
a 30-minute conversation, Dickson said Oracle was
not interested in receiving any information.
But Reeves said yesterday that he and Dickson chatted
about old yachting stories and their babies. Reeves
denied offering information to Oracle or any other
syndicate and said he would sue One World over the
allegations.
He suggested the allegations - which had "no foundation
in law or fact" - were a "stunt" and part of gamesmanship
between Oracle and One World. "There is a bigger game
between One World and Oracle which will backfire on
them."
Reeves sailed at the Olympics for New Zealand and
was involved in the winning America's Cup campaign
in 95. After acting as a legal rules adviser for Team
NZ last year, he helped American billionaire Craig
McCaw establish a new syndicate.
Reeves was involved in signing other team members,
including veteran sailor Craig Monk and designer Laurie
Davidson. He said yesterday that he created One World
and it was "my baby". His departure this year was
"mutually negotiated". "I did not resign and I was
not sacked," he said. "I did not agree with a certain
restructuring proposal and the direction the syndicate
was taking."
The case is next set down for hearing in Seattle next
month.
New Zealand Herald mentions
that several sources told that the famous John Doe
was involved in New Zealands successful defence of
the cup last year but Peter Montgomery, interviewed
on Radio NZ this morning, said that it was wrong to
say that the spy was a TNZ sailor.
The person concerned was part of the TNZ camp in 1995
and 2000 but was not one of the 16 on board the Black
boat. There had been some issues, including anti-social
behaviour which led the person being fired from OWC.
The person’s name would be widely known in NZ.
One
World claims against John Doe (10/23/01) (source
: scuttlebut)
According to a complaint
filed in the King County Superior Court in Seattle
WA on August 15, on or about July 24, members of the
Oracle Racing Team were contacted by a former employee
(or contractor) of the One World Challenge syndicate,
offering to sell "confidential proprietary design,
trade secrets, and other data regarding One World's
America's Cup challenge.
Oracle told One World that when it determined that
the offered information had been improperly obtained,
it refused to purchase the information and promptly
notified One World. Because of an understanding reached
with John Doe before Oracle determined the impropriety
of John Doe's possession and use of the information,
Oracle considers itself bound to not revel John Doe's
true identity unless compelled to do so by legal process".
On July 30, OWC sent a letter to all other syndicates
stating, in part :
"The information concerned is clearly the property
of OWC and any use or attempted use of the information
by any other party would be a clear breach of Articles
13, 15 of Protocol Governing AC XXXI and OWC's proprietary
rights. OWC is, however, confident that neither the
Defender nor any other Challengers would seek to use
or take advantage of the information.
In due course as OWC becomes aware of the identity
of the individual and the scope of the activity is
revealed, OWC will take the appropriate steps to protect
its proprietary rights and ensure that the Protocol
prevails. Accordingly, each of you is asked, if you
become aware of someone endeavouring to offer OWC
proprietary information, to immediately inform OWC
so that the matter can be properly dealt with."
One World claims that John Doe had executed a Confidentiality
and Noncompetition Agreement, which included post-employment
restrictions on his ability to assist other syndicates.
And that his separation agreement included "substantial
separation pay as consideration and John Doe agreed
to extend the term of the Confidentiality Agreement."
One World's complaint charges breach of the Uniform
Trade Secrets Act, breach of Duty of Confidence, Interference
with Business Expectancy, breach of Duty of Loyalty,
and seeks judgment for damages "including double and/or
exemplary damages where authorized by applicable law".
One World puts a value of over $2.5 million on the
data, stating that it includes, among other things,
"hull design, crew training, team member eligibility
and construction data."
A subsequent filing called for the formation of a
commission to take a sworn statement from representatives
of Oracle Racing that would, among other things, name
John Doe. That statement has been taken and, according
to a representative of OWC, will be filed with the
Court in a matter of days.
Gary Wright, CEO of OWC stated that he was very grateful
for the actions of Oracle Racing: "They have acted
honorably, they contacted us right away, we might
never have known about this if they hadn't told us."
Oracle Racing declined to comment.
OneWorld
Challenge Website (09/17/01) (source
: Craig
on 2003AC)
One Worlds site is up
and running... It must be added to your links.
Click the opposite Logo.
-
Paul G. Allen joins OneWorld (08/07/01) (source
: sailsail.com)
TechTV announced today
that it will join forces with Craig McCaw on the OneWorld
Challenge campaign to win the 31st America's Cup.
Vulcan Northwest - which owns TechTV - will support
the campaign on behalf of TechTV through a $10 million
sponsorship to the America's Cup syndicate, which
was founded by McCaw.
The San Francisco-based cable television channel is
the leading network covering technology news, information
and entertainment 24 hours a day.
Vulcan Northwest Inc. was founded by Paul G. Allen
in 1986 to manage his personal and professional endeavors,
including various investments, more than 100 portfolio
companies, the six Paul G. Allen Foundations, First
& Goal Inc., the Experience Music Project museum,
Clear Blue Sky Productions and others. Vulcan is headquartered
in Seattle, Washington.
"There is no better partner to have in this effort
than my friend Paul and the team at TechTV. Paul is
a true sports enthusiast (Allen owns the Portland
Trail Blazers NBA team and the Seattle Seahawks NFL
franchise), a man who shares my concern for environmental
stewardship, and someone who loves the adventure of
boating and being on the water," said McCaw.
Today, underwriters of OneWorld at this point include
Craig McCaw, Paul Allen's TechTV, SAIC, and Ford/Lincoln
Mercury.
