The issue of whether the challengers can substitute
their boats between the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals
and finals appears to be going away as quickly as
it appeared – as long as the parties involved talk
to each other.
Team New Zealand called a media conference today and
syndicate head Tom Schnackenberg attempted to defuse
the situation, saying he did not believe it was necessary
for the matter to go to the America's Cup Arbitration
Panel.
"I think it will be resolved pretty easily," Schnackenberg
told reporters. "We look forward to talking to the
challengers in a positive frame of mind."
Louis Vuitton Cup Regatta Director Dyer Jones said
: "I don't see it as a big issue either. Let's not
make a mountain out of a molehill."
Jones argued that when the Challengers and the Royal
New Zealand Yacht Squadron, as the defending yacht
club, signed the Race Conditions, they were effectively
modifying the Protocol.
"We intend on running this regatta according
to the Louis Vuitton Cup Conditions,” he said. “The
Conditions have modified the Protocol – it is a matter
of mutual consent, which is fundamental to the Cup."
All parties are agreed that the boat that wins the
Louis Vuitton Cup in January has to be the one that
is raced against Team New Zealand in February.
Meanwhile, Team New Zealand has reportedly threatened
Alinghi with formal action for breaches of America's
Cup surveillance regulations Schnackenberg told reporters
he hoped teams had developed the technology legitimately.
"I'd like to think (they found out) just by legitimate
means, by looking at us from outside 200 meters when
we're sailing and using logic," said Schnackenberg.
Clearly, there is some regret on both sides that
the matter has escalated. Jones said today it was
“unfortunate” that the Team New Zealand letter was
written, but Schnackenberg said the issue did require
resolution. “It is a bit of a mess when there is a
conflict like this,” he said.
Acting on reports that
leading challengers have duplicated its design innovations,
America's Cup defender Team New Zealand moved Monday
to contest the legality of Alinghi's and Oracle's unraced
yachts SUI 75 and USA 71.
Under a strict interpretation of the America's Cup rules,
Team New Zealand notified the director of the challenger
series, former New York Yacht Club commodore Dyer Jones,
of an apparent conflict between conditions governing
challenger racing and the protocol which rules the Cup.
While the challenger conditions allow the substitution
of yachts between the semifinal and final and between
the final and Cup match, Article 6.2 of the Cup protocol
states: "the finals of the challenger selection series
will between the two top yachts in the semifinals."
Illustration
(NZ Herald)
Team New Zealand said its understanding is that the
yachts that win the semifinals must also race in the
final. It said the protocol's reference to "the winning
yacht club and its winning yacht" would bind the challenger
final winner to use the same boat in the America's Cup
match.
Alinghi has sailed the same yacht, SUI-64, throughout
the challenger series and has a second yacht, SUI-75,
under development. Oracle has used USA-76 throughout
the series while testing and developing a second yacht,
USA-71.
Team New Zealand stressed in its letter to Jones that
whenever a conflict exists between the conditions of
the challenger series and the protocol, the protocol
takes precedence.
"In view of the wording of the Louis Vuitton Cup conditions
and the current position with the regatta, we consider
it important that the competing challengers receive
notice of this matter as soon as possible," Team New
Zealand rules adviser Russell Green said.
In a note to the challengers, Jones explained why he
thought Team New Zealand's interpretation of the rules
was wrong and said that boat substitution between the
semifinals and finals was "absolutely" allowed. He had
no idea what was going to happen with the Team New Zealand
letter, but he considered it was a "stupid" letter for
them to have sent.
"If at some point the squadron decides to refuse entry
by somebody, then it would be up to whatever the party
is to apply to the arbitration panel for a hearing,"
Jones said.
There has been no indication from Team New Zealand whether
it intends to pursue its case through Cup legal channels,
although it's likely Team New Zealand will approach
the Cup arbitration panel. Jones has told challengers
they should be able to rely on a "good faith" reading
of the relevant clauses.
The issue has gained urgency for Team New Zealand by
recent reports that Oracle and Alinghi have duplicated
Black Magic's most recent design innovation. It has
been reported the America's Cup defenders' latest Cup
yacht, NZL-82, has an additional or false hull section,
an effective second skin, which gives it more length
and more speed.
One of the most creative circumventions of the design
rules ever seen in 151 years of the America's Cup. The
America's Cup class have unusually fair shapes, like
long cigars, because the ACC rules expressly prohibit
any discontinuities of shape such as hollows, bumps
and creases which are the normal ways of tricking a
measurement rule in other classes of yacht.
The key to the innovation lies in the class rules which
allow two moveable appendages to the hull - normally,
the rudder and the adjustable keel fins. But in a breathtaking
piece of lateral thinking, TNZ designers realised there
was no limit on appendages that did not move.
They reasoned 'why not suspend an entire false section
of hull off the bottom of the proper hull?' In theory,
this could be done under the entire length of the hull,
between front and back measurement points, or at the
bow and at the stern.
Tom Schnackenberg, boss and design leader for TNZ, had
fervently hoped to keep the ruse secret until the official
unveiling ceremony on Jan 7 but Alinghi and Oracle,
having noted the development, reportedly have attempted
to replicate it on their second yachts.
Russell Coutts, TNZ's skipper last time but now in the
opposing camp with Alinghi, said: "There isn't a designer
in Auckland who wouldn't say 'that's got to be faster'
when they see this development."
Design innovation was an important part of Team New
Zealand's Cup win two years ago when it introduced,
with NZL-60, the double knuckle bow and rig that have
been adopted by challengers.
Now, it's time to preserve it. Ernesto Bertarelli, head
of the Swiss Alinghi syndicate which today became the
first team to qualify for the Louis Vuitton Cup final,
said he hoped the remainder of the America's Cup competition
would be kept on the water.
"My wish would be that, given the advantages Team New
Zealand already has by being able to wait and watch
us racing and therefore have more time to prepare, more
sails to sail with, that they would confine themselves
to making sure they're faster on the water," Bertarelli
said. "I think that's the best thing anyone here can
wish for the cup."
Under
the Team NZ skirts
(12/13/02) (source
: Washington
Post)
Whispers of underwater secrets in the stern of
Team New Zealand's defense boats have begun to circulate.
Cup insiders say there's something funny -- and fast
-- under the long, black skirts in which TNZ drapes
its boats.
The secret is well guarded. TNZ's skirts are worn not
just at the dock but halfway out into Hauraki Gulf when
the boats are under tow to training grounds, in an effort
to keep prying eyes at bay.
Team New Zealand and top challenger Alinghi both are
conducting training sessions as far as 30 miles from
town to keep a distance from rivals. When Alinghi broke
its mast in training last week, it was so far out in
the Gulf it took almost three hours to tow back to harbor.
What's going on? No one knows for sure, but there's
plenty of educated guessing. "The biggest story of this
America's Cup has yet to be told," said one longtime
Cup follower. "You've got to be here on Jan. 7," when
Team New Zealand and the surviving two challengers must
drop their skirts to reveal hull shapes and underwater
appendages.
Team New Zealand has kept a low profile all season as
challengers battled each other in the Louis Vuitton
Cup. TNZ has no trials, just two boats that train together
daily, side by side, trying to develop speed. The first
chance anyone gets to test against the black defense
boat will be Feb. 15, when TNZ and the last surviving
challenger square off in the best-of-nine Cup match.
Team New Zealand has won the last two Cups by 5-0 blowouts
with boats that proved much faster than the competition.
Everyone wants to know what the Kiwis have under the
water this time.
Speculation centers on an unusual, bulbous hull shape
astern, near the rudder. Some say a bustle-like protrusion
of that sort would give extra volume (flotation) astern;
others say the rudder itself sports wings to keep the
stern from lifting in strong winds.
Then again, say cynics, the whole thing may be a ruse
as Team New Zealand goes to great lengths to hide nothing
in a classic Cup disinformation program.
Sad
anniversary at Team NZ base
(12/05/02) (source
: Xtramsn.co.nz)
Today is the first anniversary of the death of
one of Sir Peter Blake who was murdered a year ago,
on the Amazon. He was shot twice, once through the heart,
after charging on deck of his yacht the Seamaster, to
defend his crew from opportunist bandits.
Six men found guilty of his murder are serving jail
sentences ranging from 26 to 36 years.
Team New Zealand will be remembering Sir Peter with
a private ceremony for its members. The Royal New Zealand
Yacht Squadron has compiled a photographic montage featuring
his many achievements.
Plans to erect a memorial statue of Sir Peter Blake
have been delayed as his family come to terms with his
death. Sir Peter's widow, Pippa, Lady Blake, was concerned
that a statue would not look like him, and did not like
the idea of birds "shitting on his head", Auckland City
councillor Scott Milne said.
The Government will not reveal what it plans as a memorial,
other than to say it is working on a memorial trust.
Sports Minister Trevor Mallard said an announcement
would be made once details were finalised.
Team New Zealand sailors have their own memorial on
the two new America's Cup boats – and say that if people
look closely when racing is on, they may be able to
spot it.
Barry McKay, a veteran of cup campaigns, would not say
what part of the boat it was on, but that the camera
would pick it up sooner or later. "Guys that have sailed
with him just wanted to recognise him and add that something
special."
Supporting
the Team New Zealand
(11/18/02) (source
: Xtramsn.co.nz)
In every corner of the country, New Zealanders
are chipping in to help Team New Zealand successfully
defend the America's Cup through the Support Crew campaign.
Over 20,000 people have either made a donation to the
defenders' cause or joined the Support Crew club.
The programme is managed for Team New Zealand by The
Warehouse chain of 78 stores, where supporters can either
buy NZ$1, NZ$2 and NZ$5 donation cards or a Support
Crew membership card carrying a magnetic strip, offered
in three categories - bronze (NZ$9.99), silver (NZ$14.99)
and gold (NZ$19.99). Most of the Support Crew members
have invested in the gold cards.
During Team New Zealand's open day at their base in
Syndicate Row last month, one man bought $500 worth
of gold supporter packs. Other Team New Zealand followers
signed up at a rapid rate during the open day - in fact,
around two and a half people per minute became members
of the Support Crew.
The Support Crew carries on the tradition of public
support for New Zealand America's Cup campaigns since
1987. It was launched in response to a flood of offers
of help from the New Zealand public.
Blackhearts
creating ripple of unrest
(10/27/02) (source
: Daily
Telegraph)
Inside the Team NZ compound there is an air of
confidence which suggests they have something special
in their two new America's Cup boats but Outside there
is a sinister shadow.
Small group of people who call themselves the Blackhearts
and insist they are on hand simply to offer support
to their team when they go into the cup match next February.
But no Aucklander has failed to pick up the village
mob aspect and the hate campaign undercurrent for two
challenging teams who comprise some of their former
TNZ finest (Alinghi and OneWorld).
Compounding the mood is an advertising campaign with
the word 'loyal' over a silver fern and of a line of
men, clenched hands on heart, in black and white.
Many locals are uneasy with what they see as an unsavoury
mix of the crass, parochial and poisonous.
Team
New Zealand testing the new boat, NZL 82
(10/23/02) (source
: NZ
City)
There has been a sneak preview of Team New Zealand's
new boat for the America's Cup challengers. NZL 82 has
been taken out for its first testing session on the
Hauraki Gulf, in the shadow of the Louis Vuitton Cup
races.
Team New Zealand designer Tom Schnackenberg says the
challengers wouldn't have noticed too much difference,
with any changes being very subtle.
He says the changes can also be masked by using a different
rig or different appendages as well.
Team New Zealand is slowly building up to speed in its
new boat. Schnackenberg says they can't sail it flat
out straight away, because it will stress the new components
too much.
