33rd America's Cup teams reach consensus on rules governing the event at a Competitor Meeting in Geneva
[Note: After contacting the Alinghi media office we were informed that apparently Team Germany couldn't attend as they are re-organising themselves while Mascalzone refused to sign the confidentiality agreement, signed by all teams participating in the Competitor Meetings, and as a result was not admitted to the meeting]
[Source: Alinghi] A large majority of the teams entered in the 33rd America’s Cup today achieved another milestone in the process of getting the event back on the water during a second Competitor Meeting at the Société Nautique de Genève in Switzerland.
Ten of the 12 entered challengers present at the meeting, along with the Defender Alinghi, expressed a unanimous will to work together constructively towards a class rule and regulations that satisfy all entered competitors.
Amongst other topics, it was agreed that:
- The Arbitration Panel be expanded to five members, with the two additional members being appointed by all the entered competitors through a democratic process
- The Race Committee has been agreed by all the entered competitors
- Other America’s Cup Race Officials, the Technical Director and Umpires will be selected following a similar process amongst ISAF officials
- Two pre-regattas will be organised in 2009 before the 33rd America’s Cup in 2010
All participants at today’s meeting expressed their satisfaction with the process and their confidence in ongoing plans progressing towards a 33rd America’s Cup. They also urged BMW Oracle Racing once again to drop their lawsuit and enter this process.
The next Competitor Meeting is scheduled for December.
Competitor Meeting at the Société Nautique de Genève. Geneva, November 11th 2008. Photo copyright Schmid Chris / Alinghi The entered teams present at today’s Competitor Meeting were:
1. Alinghi, Société Nautique de Genève, Switzerland – Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup
2. Desafío Español, Club Náutico Español de Vela, Spain – Challenger of Record
3. Shosholoza, Royal Cape Yacht Club, South Africa
4. TeamOrigin, Royal Thames Yacht Club, United Kingdom
5. Emirates Team New Zealand, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, New Zealand
6. Green Comm, Challenge Circolo di Vela Gargano, Italy
7. Ayre, Real Club Náutico de Dénia, Spain
8. Victory Challenge, Gamla Stans Yacht Sällskap, Sweden
9. Argo Challenge, Club Náutico di Gaeta, Italy
10. French Spirit, Yacht Club de St Tropez, France
11. Carbon Challengesi
Labels: 33rd America's Cup, Alinghi
12 Comments:
So, BMW Oracle's poodle was not accepted in the meeting? Well done.
Pandarese must think the rest of teams are stupid. She doesn't want to sign the confidentiality agreement and wants to attend. She needs to go to a shrink.
For RC there is only one way to get his multimillion bonus from Larry. Win the court case. That's what he has been doing since the beginning
How many Challengers?
TNZ is challenger only, another ones are.....
Like this, Alinghi will be owner's Cup next 20 years
"The Arbitration Panel be expanded to five members, with the two additional members being appointed by all the entered competitors through a democratic process"
Does this mean that Alinghi still appoints the other 3? A majority?
Can anyone understand what game Onorato is playing? He's really behaving like a 10-year old kid
why did they have to sign this agreement? to agree to not say their real position? strange, these swiss people, everything in secret
Why reason there are designers on this meeting? Vrolijk, Botin, Jk, etc ¿¿??
Well, I have worked for various teams in the last 4 AC's and would rather stay an unemployed AC worker for as long as it takes than see Bertarelli turn the AC and 157 years of history into just another yachting reggatta.
Alinghi have gone from Hero to zero.
Has anyone thought about if the DOG race does go ahead and Oracle win, what happens to decisions the competitor meeting rules then?? Null and void I guess.
Some of you guys either don't have a clue about what you say or, even worst, try to mislead the readers on porpuse.
Regarding the designers attending the meeting:
They were there because there is a new AC Class under development that is being discussed by all the challengers (it will be smaller than the AC90 proposed last year ... that, funny again, BOR used to say Alinghi had already started building!).
Regarding the confidentiality request: it's obvious that attendants can only be those that applied to be one, and confidentiality is in their own benefit. Meaning that if you want to know about it, then become a Challenger!
It's pretty simple.
I think it is great news that all those Challengers attended the meeting and agreed on a protocol (I guess it means it's a fair one at last!).
There are some bigger teams than others of course, but that is logic and happens in any competition.
If I'm not mistaken, in the 32nd AC these teams were all new: China, Shosholoza, Desafio (it was different from the previous one called Bravo, no?), Victory, +39 and Team Germany. They all started in that campaign and all participated in some very intense races.
The fact that the 33rd AC will have some new comers too is an added value to me and not the other way around as some people pretend to make us believe.
2003, GGYC and SNG did not let other parties in their meetings!!!
V5 rule was published before you could even enter the process. Onorato knows that but keeps a not credible position.
The worst 2 teams in the 32nd in terms of behaviour and cheating are damaging the 33rd. Alinghi might not be an angel. BEAT THEM!!! And also for those that say that the only "real" challenger in the meetings is TNZ, remember, Desafío did much better than BOR in the 32nd
Quoting "writing-moment" from the 2007AC.com forums (because it could not be better said) as a reply to GGYC/BOR being banned from the meeting:
"There is a kind of seasonality to this conflict, isn't there? It seems like the second time through. They're in, they're out, they're welcome, they're not. We'll ban them, we won't, maybe we will, we'll think about it, it's up to them. We'll appeal, we won't, we did, oh my gosh those scoundrels appealed. The Cup is on, it's off, it's on. LVPS is great, LVPS is a dangerous ambush, LVPS is great. NZ would throw sailors out of jobs if they won, we won and want to throw half the crews out of work. We need to save money, we need to build large new boats, we need to build small new boats. We kept the ACCs because there wasn't time, we have no time so let's have a new class. The last Cup was great, we need to change the format. We need neutral management via an entity we control, we need unilateral power over the rules and the officials so that we can be fair. They had a regatta, wait no they didn't, wait they did, wait no it wasn't, wait now they did. We're meeting, we're not, we had a great meeting, it's their fault. Alinghi says everything's fine, they are totally willing to change the protocol while declaring no need to change it and are willing to listen to your concerns provided you don't talk about them, we'll sit down to negotiate just as soon as you throw away your leverage, we'll address your objections just as soon as you sign away your rights to do anything about it. "
consent depends on freewill. seldom seen amongst the "challengers" in the meeting.
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