Italian newspaper article on Larry Ellison and the America's Cup was erroneous

Last Saturday, we published a post, commenting an article that appeared in the Italian newspaper L'Arena according to which Larry Ellison, owner of the America's Cup challenger BMW Oracle, had stated in an interview that he wanted to modify the Deed of Gift in order to be able to race the America's Cup on a lake.

Ellison was last week in Malcesine, Italy, on Lake Garda taking part in a race together with Russell Coutts, James Spithill and sailors of BMW Oracle. According to the article, Ellison was so thrilled by wind conditions and the scenery of Lake Garda that he was thinking of changing the rules that govern the America's Cup and currently prohibit races on a lake.

The only interview Ellison did in Lake Garda (following the match racing on Thursday) is this one on Luca Bontempelli's sailrev.tv. Ellison gives a very lengthy and detailed description of his races and when asked about the site he praises it but at no time whatsoever does he make the slightest reference, even indirect, to the America's Cup.

The local paper quotes the Yacht Club president Johnny Testa who says Ellison thinks it’s a great venue and draws his own conclusion (with a twinkle in his eye) that therefore Garda would be a great venue for the America's Cup. A combination of bad journalism and wishful thinking resulted in a misleading article.

It appears that every time Ellison or Bertarelli go to some race and helm, the local press takes it as a guarantee that the billionaire team owners want to hold the 33rd or 34th America's Cup there.