America’s Cup hit by rules row

YACHTING’S America’s Cup was last night sailing into a new storm as holders Team New Zealand (TNZ) questioned the legal standing of a crucial tactic of the likely challenger.

TNZ say in a letter to organisers that they question the legality of the yet to be determined winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the America’s Cup challenge round, to change its boats for the race series for the America’s Cup in February.

They say the protocol which governs the America’s Cup requires a race between “the top yachts” rather than the top yachting clubs.

The news came following the success of Switzerland’s Alinghi syndicate which qualified for the Louis Vuitton finals next month.

Prada of Italy and OneWorld and Oracle, both of the United States, have yet to determine among themselves who will be the other finalist.

TNZ’s claim drew a strong response from Louis Vuitton director Dyer Jones, who said TNZ were trying to “stick it to the competitors”.

“But that’s part of the game they play,” he said.

Alinghi head Ernesto Bertarelli 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.

TNZ rules adviser Russell Green quoted the America’s Cup protocol as saying: “The finals of the challenge selection series will be between the two top yachts in the semi-finals.”

He acknowledged the Louis Vuitton Cup conditions allowed substitution between the semi-final repechage and the ceremony unveiling the competing yachts before the finals.

But Green said the protocol took precedence over the rules where there was a conflict.

In its 152 years of racing, the America’s Cup has featured frequent protracted rules battles, the most recent of which ended up in a three-year tussle in the New York Supreme Court in the mid-1990s.

Race observers say TNZ is protecting its position ahead of the possibility of OneWorld being its challenger.

The Seattle-based syndicate has already been penalised twice by Louis Vuitton after admitting it had TNZ design data it should not have had.

There is also fear that the challenging boat will be a new vessel that has not suffered the stresses of the competition so far, but has been configured using the data gained from the competing boat.

The surviving syndicates have all used the same boats so far, keeping what may or may not be their faster boat in the shed ahead of the actual America’s Cup.