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Team
DC out of the Louis Vuitton Regatta (12/09/02)
(Sources
: NZ
Herald
&
Sailing
World
&
NZ
City)
|
Team Dennis Conner completed significant modifications
to USA77 just in case fellow Americans OneWorld were
thrown out of the America's Cup.
All of the team's key people have stayed in Auckland
training - just a few opting to return to the United
States. "We completed quite extensive under water modifications,"
said spokesman Keith Taylor. "Team Dennis Conner are
here to sail and we want to be ready to race."
However the faint hopes the syndicate had of staying
alive in the competition were dashed when the cup's
arbitration panel ruled that OneWorld could stay in
the Louis Vuitton Cup, albeit with a point docked in
each round from now on.
Charles A. Dana III, commodore of the New York Yacht
Club, home to Team Dennis Conner, said the syndicate
took "no pleasure" in the verdict.
He said information that his team and Prada submitted
to the panel went beyond the earlier admissions of guilt
made by OneWorld.
"Both clubs believe that the rules requiring each team
to develop its own design data are fundamental to the
America's Cup competition. It is important that all
future teams have a clear understanding of these rules
and the consequences of any violation of the rules,"
added Dana.
Dennis Conner's only comments came at a media conference,
where he reacted angrily to suggestions a protest is
something to be expected from a losing New York Yacht
Club.
Conner says that in the 31 years of his involvement
in the America's Cup, he has only been involved in one
protest. He is disappointed with the outcome, but says
he did what he thought was right.
Conner says it is ridiculous, with the advent of multinational
crews, that everyone should have to forget what they
have learned in the past. However, he is defending his
decision to bring action against OneWorld for protocol
breaches.
He says he was only standing up for what he believed
in and, when it comes to the crunch, everyone has to
abide by the rules.
Conner said that in light of the Panel’s decision, his
team would withdraw its Fair Sailing protest to the
International Jury. The hearing was scheduled for Tuesday
night. |
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Team
DC are to continue training (11/29/02)
(Source
: Stuff.co.nz) |
Yesterday's one minute loss by Conner's Stars and
Stripes was their fourth in a row to OneWorld and normally
would have meant a clear exit from the Louis Vuitton
Cup for the team representing the New York Yacht Club.
But Conner's syndicate, along with the Prada team representing
the Italian Yacht Club Punta Ala, have created doubt
by seeking to have OneWorld disqualified from the tournament,
alleging the Seattle syndicate used design information
belonging to other teams.
It was after racing yesterday that Conner confirmed,
despite being whitewashed in their quarterfinal repechage
contest with OneWorld, his team would continue training
as if preparing for the semifinals round due to start
on December 9.
The America's Cup arbitration panel is hearing the case
against OneWorld on December 7-8 and David Elwell, the
NYYC member responsible for liaising with Team Dennis
Conner, yesterday said he would be surprised if they
did not make a decision either late on December 8 or
the next day. |
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TDC
confirmed that Cian is the B-boat driver (11/23/02)
(Source
: Foxsports) |
Former Mascalzone Latino helmsman Paolo Cian has
joined the New York America's Cup team, Stars & Stripes,
as a warm-up boat driver.
Cian sailed with Italian challenger Mascalzone Latino
- through the first and second challenger rounds in
October. The Naples-based syndicate, formed by shipping
magnate Vincenzo Onerato, was the first of nine teams
eliminated from the challenger series.
Stars & Stripes spokesman Keith Taylor confirmed Saturday
that Cian had been taken on as B-boat helmsman by the
New York Yacht Club team of Cup veteran Dennis Conner.
Taylor said Stars & Stripes' sailing coach Glenn Bourke,
who had formerly driven the warm-up boat, had returned
to England to prepare for the next Volvo Ocean Race.
"We needed a B-boat driver and Paolo was available.
It's a simple as that," Taylor said. "There are several
guys who could drive the B-boat but at the moment they're
all sailing on the A-boat." |
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Paolo
Cian at the helm on the TDC 2nd boat? (11/20/02)
(Source
: iacc-city.it
translated on 2003ac.com
by Gabriele) |
Paolo Cian, former Mascalzone Latino helmsman has
been recently admitted to the court of Big Bad Dennis
in the apprentice sparring partner role. He says that
for him is like making an "accelerated master of America's
Cup".
It is not against the rules for ACC racing. He is just
not allowed to compete during the competition. |
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Team
DC is sailing with new confidence (11/18/02)
(Sources
: NZ
Herald &
Foxsports) |
Defi Areva and GBR Challenge were bid farewell
yesterday, losing to Sweden's Victory Challenge and
Team Dennis Conner, who will now join OneWorld and Prada
in the quarter-final repechages that start on Saturday.
Because of their solid record in the round-robin competition,
OneWorld have the right to choose who they will race
in the best of seven series - likely to be the Swedes'
Victory Challenge - leaving the other two to pair off.
OneWorld, as highest qualifier, has 24 hours from the
conclusion of Monday's racing to decide which of its
three prospective opponents it will race.
Given Stars & Stripes' form against GBR and the fact
New York's USA-77 has been seen only in its five quarterfinal
races, limiting available data, OneWorld is more likely
to make Victory its conservative choice.
USA-77 proved itself in the quarterfinals in which it
was beaten only once, then because of a pre-start penalty
rather than the superiority of its opponent. It was
clear after Monday's win that teams are now staying
clear of Stars & Stripes.
"We like our sailing at the moment," said New York helmsman
Ken Read. "Our confidence is high and there's just a
great feeling around the compound. It all started with
a little boatspeed. You just sail better when you're
going faster."
America's Cup veteran Tom Whidden, who has sailed in
all Conner campaigns since 1980, said the crew had an
understandable lack of faith in the soundness of USA-77
after its sinking.
"We thought she was a really good boat but we had to
be sure she could take it," he said. "She's actually
a great boat and she's given us a lot of speed. It takes
30 things to win the America's Cup and at the moment
we're doing all of those things a whole lot better."
OneWorld and Prada have had a week to prepare for the
repechage, but Team Dennis Conner and the Swedes have
just five days.
"The format is a disadvantage to our side of the bracket,"
said Team Dennis Conner helmsman Ken Read.
"If we wanted to throw another keel on or bulb or change
the position of our mast, whatever you could do if you
had three weeks like Oracle and Alinghi - we'd love
to do that. But on the other side of the coin, we get
to go out and get race tough.
"USA66 is already under the knife and we have some plans
for USA77. We just have to do with what we have got.
We have to go racing on Saturday."
"The Dennis Conner programme is not used to losing.
Our team had many chances to self-destruct but none
of our team allowed that to happen", said Ken Read.
"We are still surviving because of the experience of
our programme. A little bit of boat speed makes you
look pretty smart." |
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