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Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia
(RYCCS) and Mascalzone Latino have submitted an
amicus curiae brief to the Court Case between Golden
Gate Yacht Club and Société Nautique de Genève
and to bring their views to the attention of the
Court.
"It is unfortunate that the America’s Cup is
in court once again", said Alessandra Pandarese,
general counsel of Mascalzone Latino and former
Chair of the Challenger Commission. "But no
one, especially the defender, can be surprised that
this has happened: the Protocol, promulgated by
SNG with Club Náutico Español has essentially eliminated
the role of the Challenger".
"In so doing, the Protocol contravenes the
core terms of the Deed of Gift that created the
America’s Cup, which provides that the Cup shall
be “a perpetual Challenge Cup."
Mascalzone submit that the group of provisions relating
to SNG, through America’s Cup Management controlling
unilateral power to disqualify a challenging team;
ACM power to appoint all race officials, ACM power
to establish unilaterally the rules for all the
phases of the event, and the class rules, have altered
the nature of the America’s Cup from the “Challenge
Cup”, to a type of competition totally governed
by the Defender, in contravention of the basic principles
of the Deed.
Mascalzone Latino submit that the Court should exercise
its jurisdiction, enforce the terms of the Deed,
and protect this historic sporting event from the
Defender’s usurpations.
Meantime a fair Protocol is being drafted with GGYC,
and it will be submitted to all other challengers
and all inputs will be welcomed. Now it is time
for SNG/Alinghi to be finally available to discuss
and reach true mutual consent.
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The reasons that brought Vincenzo Onorato to intervene:
a) the submission of the amicus brief.
"GGYC/Oracle is not the only team that contest the
Protocol –underlines Onorato- we feel we have expressed
the opinion of the sailing community that is interested
in this event and wants it to remain competitive
and not preconditioned in favour of the Defender."
b) the reasons of the court case between SNG and
GGYC and the conflict surrounding the Cup.
"The conflict arose from the content of the Protocol
and the case was brought by Oracle substantially
to challenge this document signed between the defender
and the challenger of record Club Náutico Español
de Vela".
"If the Protocol had not distorted the event
structure and totally eliminated the role of the
Challenger from the XXXIII AC, we would probably
all be in Valencia already. "You would have to ask
Ernesto Bertarelli - who said on many occasions
that the XXXII edition of the Cup was the best ever
held - why he has totally rewritten the rules? Wouldn’t
it have been better to improve on the previous text,
perhaps even with the actual inputs from the challengers?"
c) Possible postponement of the Cup.
"A postponement is probably inevitable. Nevertheless
as far as we are aware ACM did not consult any of
challengers that are already registered before sending
this release. ACM is continuing to make a fundamental
mistake: behaving as if it were an organisation
like the FIA, CIO, etc."
"Due to the peculiarity of the America' s Cup,
ACM arises from the Holder of the trophy, therefore
the power should not and cannot be absolute. In
substance we hope that the orientation expressed
in the release means that SNG has finally decided
to come to the table and review all of the disputed
matters."
d) Mascalzone Latino’s participation in the next
Cup.
"We are certainly ready to participate and it is
for this reason that we are intervening in order
to try to improve the rule context." .
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