|
A statement was issued by Vincenzo
Onorato, syndicate head of the Italian Mascalzone
Latino team from the 32nd America’s Cup.
He outlines the problems of the event Protocol issued
for the 33rd event, and the revisions needed to
get BMW Oracle Racing/GGYC to withdraw the Court
actions and to allow for the recruitment of sponsors
and teams for the next event.
| The specific issues to be amended
are: |
| - |
Use
V5 America’s Cup yachts, with each team permitted
to build one new yacht and modify one old
yacht up to 50%.
|
| - |
All
AC 33 competitors agree, by entering AC 32,
that in case of winning AC 33 they will use
the new Alinghi 90' design in AC 34, with
the final rule to be worked out between Alinghi
and the CC (which would of course include
the current COR) in the meantime, and starting
now.
|
| - |
The Protocol be substantially
the same as AC 32, but with changes to be
negotiated by SNG/Alinghi with the Challenger
Commission.
|
The Protocol be substantially the
same as AC 32, but with changes to be negotiated
by SNG/Alinghi with the Challenger Commission.
| The revision of the Protocol should
particularly solve the area of most concern
of the recent adopted Protocol:
|
| - |
SNG’s unilateral ability,
through ACM, to disqualify a challenging team,
in particular for disputing any provision
in the Protocol;
|
| - |
ACM’s ability to accept not
all otherwise valid challengers, ACM’s ability
to unilaterally reject a challenging team;
|
| - |
appointment of the arbitration
panel and jury by the Defender and COR only
and their ability to dismiss the members of
the panel and jury at will;
|
| - |
ACM’s exclusive power to
appoint race committee, measurement committee,
umpires and any other event officials;
|
| - |
ACM’s powers and rights which
far exceed the position of any Defender in
the past, including the power to impose a
penalty to competitors;
|
| - |
ACM’s power to “unilaterally”
establish the rules for the all the events,
including the Challenger Selection Series,
|
| - |
the lack of any accountability
by either ACM or COR to the challengers and
the absence of any requirement of neutral
management ;
|
| - |
the participation of the
Defender in the CSS.
|
The execution of a revised Protocol
with these provisions should then convince GGYC
to withdraw the Court actions, and it would attract
more sponsors and, therefore, more teams to the
event.
|