Oracle
BMW Racing sails into semifinals (11/16/02) (source
: NZ
Herald)
Oracle BMW Racing have blitzed through their quarterfinals
against American rivals OneWorld and straight into the
semifinals, winning the series 4-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Not many would have picked such one-sided dominance
between the two American heavyweights of the Louis Vuitton
Cup, but Oracle made it look easy, leading off the start
and staying clear ahead of USA65 to take the gun 33
seconds ahead.
OneWorld have used a new boat, USA65, for these quarterfinals,
which may have had something to do with the lopsided
racing.
"This is a marathon not a sprint. We have a long
road ahead", explained James Spithill. "We
have also been through a lot over the last two years
and if any team can pull it off its ours.".
Oracle now will not race again until December 9, joining
the Russell Coutts-skippered Swiss-based Alinghi team
in the semifinals.
Sean
Reeves persists in his allegations (11/12/02) (source
: The
Guardian)
Sean Reeves, whom OneWorld has successfully sued
for breaking a confidentiality agreement, has given
sworn affidavits in which he alleges that there have
been 22 serious violations of the protocol for the America's
Cup.
In 50 pages of affidavits, Reeves, a New Zealand lawyer
who parted company with the OneWorld team in May 2001,
alleges that the syndicate set out to copy or steal
other teams' plans. "Acquisition or appropriation of
other syndicates' design and technical information was
not discouraged by many OWC designers and sailors but
openly and freely encouraged," he states.
Reeves recalls in his affidavit that he saw a member
of OneWorld's design staff working with the drawing
open on his desk and that this document had a copyright
stamp from TNZ on the bottom margin.
He claims that when OneWorld confessed some minor breaches
of the protocol, for which it was penalised one win
in the challenger selection series, it was sparing with
the truth.
He alleges that the complete technology of the "millennium
rig", the mast that TNZ used to great effect, was also
made available to OneWorld illegally.
Reeves also lists information on sails, brought from
the Prada campaign by the sail designer Michael Spanhake,
as being outside the rules.
Reeves would have to testify to the arbitration panel
for action to be taken against OneWorld, but he may
find that the confidentiality agreement he signed with
OneWorld, and for which he has already accrued a debt
of $1.6m, is still binding.Though he was initially keen
to reveal all, he has indicated that for legal reasons
he may not after all be able to testify.
OneWorld
will sail USA 65 against Oracle (11/11/02) (source
: NZ
Herald)
Like Team Dennis Conner, OneWorld have taken a
gamble and changed boats, choosing their first built
boat, USA65, rather than USA67 which they used in both
round robins.
Skipper Peter Gilmour was vague about the reasons for
the change, saying only that the two boats have subtle
differences.
OWC
has no illusions about staying perfect (10/21/02) (source
: Newsobserver.com)
Unbeaten after eight opening-round races, Seattle's
OneWorld Challenge is under no illusions the streak
will continue in the second round of challenger racing
for the America's Cup.
"I think the challenge for OneWorld is really to go
out there and continue what we've been doing," Australian
skipper Peter Gilmour said Monday. "That being said,
the law of averages also works heavily against you in
terms of being able to maintain a winning streak or
a losing streak. Anything can happen in this game.
"We have no expectation of going through (unbeaten)
and no false illusions of our performance relative to
other boats. We're just a well-prepared campaign and
in the first round-robin that showed out."
OneWorld
withdraws application against TNZ (08/20/02) (source
: NZ
Herald)
The OneWorld Challenge America's Cup team has withdrawn
an application to the America's Cup Arbitration Panel
(ACAP) against Team New Zealand, filed on August 11.
The challenge syndicate says outstanding issues between
the teams were resolved at a meeting yesterday. The
meeting resulted in a further filing, signed by both
parties, requesting that the panel return three canisters
of OneWorld's plans, currently being held by the ACAP
Registrar, to OneWorld's Seattle legal counsel.
OneWorld says if needs the cannisters as part of court
action it is taking in the United States against a former
syndicate employee, Sean Reeves.
OneWorld said it was satisfied that the actions taken
by Team New Zealand to deal with the unsolicited delivery
of the OneWorld Challenge plans was entirely appropriate
under the circumstances, and that no further action
was required.
"I first met the men at Team New Zealand when Craig
McCaw assisted with their funding during America's Cup
XXX," said One World chief executive Gary Wright. "I
have always felt that we could be honourable and sportsmanlike
with one another.
"I believe we have settled any potential issues that
have been or could possibly come between our teams and
my hope now is that the next time we meet, it is on
the waters of the Hauraki Gulf."
OneWorld's
penalty of a point 'severe'
(08/19/02) (source
: NZ
Herald)
OneWorld Challenge chief executive Gary Wright
says the one-point penalty imposed on his America's
Cup team for having other syndicate's design secrets
is severe.
OneWorld was penalised one competition point by the
America's Cup Arbitration Panel, which ruled possessing
design information for Team New Zealand, Prada of Italy
and the former syndicate America True, broke cup rules.
The deduction will be made at the end of the pair of
rounds-robin on Nov 1 when the field of nine is reduced
to eight. At the very least it will affect the rankings
and may pit OneWorld against a stronger rival as the
trials move to a knockout format.
If OneWorld's boats are fast, this should not trouble
them, but if they are caught up in the pack, then it
may be decisive and has been enough to eliminate the
likes of Dennis Conner in previous years.
A one-point penalty imposed on Team Dennis Conner in
the semi-finals of the challengers' series in the last
cup was enough to knock Stars and Stripes out of the
contest.
Team Dennis Conner and Prada had finished the semi-finals
with seven wins each from 10 races, but the Italians
made it through to the Louis Vuitton finals against
AmericaOne because Conner's team had been docked a point
for using an illegal rudder.
Team NZ head Tom Schnackenberg says the severity of
the point penalty awarded against OneWorld will only
become clear after the first two round robins.
The OneWorld Challenge Campaign for the XXXI’st
America’s Cup was notified of a Decision handed down
by the America’s Cup Arbitration Panel (ACAP) on the
voluntary application that OneWorld put before them
some eight months ago.
The findings of the America's Cup Arbitration Panel
confirm it had design plans from others syndicates :
"… in the context of concessions by OneWorld Challenge,
confirmed by the affidavits of the relevant designers,
that they had in their respective possession, whilst
engaged in design work for OWC, (a) measurement certificates
for the yachts NZL-57 and NZL-60 (both TNZ ACXXX yachts),
(b) carbon fibre materials data certificates issued
to TNZ by its suppliers in respect of ACXXX yachts and
(c) sail and mast design and performance information
relating to the sail design programme of Prada for ACXXX."
The secrets were taken to Seattle-based OneWorld by
designers poached from other syndicates, including three
former Team NZ staff who had tank-testing photographs,
deck plans and carbon-fibre material certificates for
the 2000 winner NZL60.
In its review the ACAP had to ascertain whether OWC
had breached Article 13 (Reconnaissance) and whether
the design information was, " … acquired as a result
of an "intentional illegal act", performed on behalf
of OneWorld Challenge, for the purpose of attempting
to "gather design and yacht performance data…about (Team
New Zealand’s) yachts through illegal (or) clandestine
means" (Article 13.1)."
The Panel’s view was that the evidence for such a case
would fall short of establishing such breaches.
The ACAP were also asked to determine whether OWC had
breached Article 15 (Eligibility of Yachts), and in
particular Article 15.3 (c); This article is concerned
with designers being "separate and independent" having
no involvement with other syndicates.
On this issue the ACAP found that OneWorld Challenge
was in breach.
In it’s awarding of a penalty the ACAP, "Took into account,
as a mitigating factor, that it was OneWorld Challenge
that brought before the Panel the facts that have resulted
in the findings that it was in breach. Had it not done
so, a more severe penalty would have been warranted."
The Panel also decided that, "Because of the importance
of the prohibition in Article 15.3(c), the Panel considers
that a deterrent penalty is necessary to emphasise to
participants that there is a strict obligation on any
syndicate that engages a designer from another syndicate
in a current or past America’s Cup contest, to ensure
that that designer has no relevant design information
in his or her possession. A financial penalty, in the
Panel’s view, does not sufficiently emphasise the seriousness
of the breaches or the necessary deterrent element."
The Panel handed down a penalty to OneWorld of a one-point
deduction from the total of points accrued in Round
Robin One and Round Robin Two of the Louis Vuitton Cup.
Further, costs were also assessed in the amount of USD
$13,500.
OneWorld was found by the panel to be clearly eligible,
under the 151 year-old deed of gift, to sign the protocol
and be a challenger for the 31st America’s Cup.
