Tuesday, April 14, 2009

America's Cup: Light at the end of the tunnel or false hope?

Related PDF DocumentLetter from GGYC Commodore to SNG Commodore, dated April 7
It appears that we might be finally seeing the appearance of a few rays of hope in the long and tedious standoff between Alinghi and BMW Oracle. When the 6 judges of the NY State Court of Appeals made public their final decision on the legal case between the two parties, in addition to declaring GGYC as the Challenger for the 33rd America's Cup, they stated that "it falls now to SNG and GGYC to work together to maintain this noble sailing tradition as "a perpetual Challenge Cup for friendly competition between foreign countries".

Well, it appears that the first time these two clubs and teams will "work together" might take place next week in Geneva, according to the Alinghi media office.

The Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), the yacht club that Alinghi represents, has written to the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC), the yacht club BMW Oracle represents, inviting their representatives to a meeting in Geneva next week to seek mutual consent on the terms of the 33rd America's Cup.

In addition, Ernesto Bertarelli is available to meet Larry Ellison whenever convenient, a fact that indicates a sincere will to settle differences from the part of the Swiss team's owner.

Still, it has to be said that GGYC and BMW Oracle made an initial approach to exactly discuss on a settlement last week. GGYC's Commodore sent his SNG counterpart a letter on April 7th, informing him BMW Oracle officials were prepared to meet "immediately" with SNG/Alinghi in order to start negotiations that could eventually lead to a settlement.

Is this the beginning of the end or just another false hope, similar to the ones we have seen in the last 20 months? We'll see next week.

Here's the letter sent by GGYC's Commodore to his SNG counterpart

April 7, 2009
Commodore Pierre-Yves Firmenich
Société Nautique de Genève
Port Noir
CH-1223 Cologny
SWITZERLAND

Dear Commodore Firmenich,

I am writing to confirm our sincere hope, given Thursday's court decision, that our two Clubs can reach mutual consent on the conditions governing the 33rd America's Cup.

We remain committed to a conventional, multi-challenger regatta in monohulls under mutual consent to be held as soon as practicable, and we would be happy to involve third parties, such as ISAF or NYYC, as mediators.

As you know our Club is represented by LArry Ellison and his BMW Oracle Racing team. BOR officials are prepared to meet immediately with SNG/Alinghi to discuss ideas for achieving mutual consent. We suggest a meeting early next week at a mutually convenient venue.

We also suggest that the location of the meeting be kept private between our two teams. This is an important time for trying to provide certainty in helping the event move forward quickly. It would be ideal if our teams could talk with as little distraction as possible.

I hope this is acceptable to your Club and team. Could I further suggest that Melinda Erkelens and Lucien Masmejean talk as soon as possible by phone to work out the details.

Sincerely,

GOLDEN GATE YACHT CLUB

Marcus Young
Commodore

cc: Ernesto Bertarelli, Team Ainghi
Brad Butterworth, Team Ainghi
Russell Coutts, BMW Oracle Racing
Larry Ellison, BMW Oracle Racing

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15 Comments:

At 8:04 PM, Blogger Norby said...

so, let's see what happens next. hope the light at the end of the tunnel is not an express train coming at full speed.

 
At 8:43 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

pierre - can you ask alinghi and/or bmw oracle for that reply letter referred to? the response from SNG, please?

 
At 9:20 PM, Anonymous Norberto the imposter said...

Ah, definitely false hope. Mr. Ellison will not agree to anything (even considering that all the other teams had already agreed to a protocol), and he will force the so called "Godzilla Match" ..... which has nothing to do with the AC and will further delay the participation of all the other teams.

Too bad .....

 
At 10:58 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This letter is a farce! Of course GGYC wants to "keep the meeting location" private. And then, suddenly, they will come out saying that Allinghi is not cooperative, and they have no other choice but to force the race of the big multi-hulls between the two yacht clubs ( and in the meantime they are preparing quite well, thank you!)

I hope nobody really thinks in their right mind that Ellison built a multi-million dollar catamaran so he can park it in his garage? No, he wants his way, and that means 2-3 years more waiting time for the rest of the world. And Ellison will (again) put the blame on Allinghi - the same Allinghi that successfully worked out a AC protocol with the rest of the world.

Larry Ellison is and continues to be an idiot!

 
At 1:06 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

10:58 PM - Once again another Alinghi/SNG idiot that can't read what is posted on Valencia Sailing.

Please read Dan Meyer's letter to the SNG members that is total BS!!! You will see that it is they that are preparing for a DoG & that their twisted self serving ways remain unchanged. Heck they can' even be honest w/ the SNG members. Way would anyone want these guys to have The Cup is insane.

Meyers letter doesn't even mention 2 very important facts -

1. GGYC's orginial challenge calls for 1st a DoG mutual consent for a MC. 2nd if no MC they will go DoG challenge.

2. The NYSC CoA states - "ORDERED that GGYC and SNG may engage in a mutual consent process and make any arrangement satisfactory to both as to the dates, courses, number of trials, rules and sailing regulations, and any and all other condtitions of the challenge match races in accordance with the Deed of Gift"

You have no idea of the facts on this one - "the same Allinghi that successfully worked out a AC protocol with the rest of the world"

The fact is - "ORDERED and adjudged that CNEV's challenge is invalid, and CNEV is not a valid Challenger of Record pursant to the Deed of Gift;"

Stop wasting our time & please deal w/ the facts vs your uninformed emotions & ambitions.

 
At 4:14 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

You say stick to the facts and leave out emotion and ambition. Emotion and ambition is what makes the Cup what it is (well, was). The facts are always in shades of grey, the ambition is always real. Anyone who has competed knows that well.

 
At 4:48 AM, Anonymous WetHog said...

"and he will force the so called "Godzilla Match" ..... which has nothing to do with the AC and will further delay the participation of all the other teams."

A match between a BMWO multi and an Alinghi multi would be more of an actual America's Cup match than any multi-challenge America's Cup ever held. 1 on 1 is how the America's Cup was contested for almost 100 years. To say other wise is just plain ignorant. Please think before you post. lol

I remain hopefull that there is light at the end of the tunnel for those of us that love the multi-challenger event aspect of the AC. Both Uncle Larry and EB are successful buisness men and I would hope common sense would prevail and another AC32 style event will be hammered out. But those of us that hope for that to happen have been burned before.

 
At 2:31 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

WetHog makes a good point: we continue to hope that there will be a solution. But history has proven us wrong! It is highly unlikely that Elison will agree to a multi-challenger protocol after he has build his big toy. The end result will be more years of waiting for the rest of the world, as uncle Larry successfully eliminates all other contenders. (He would be nuts not to do that after he lost miserably in the last AC eliminations)

 
At 2:33 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

10:58 poster - before you start throwing around big words, why don't you check the past ACs results first. All of them have been multi-entry elimination regattas with teams from all over the world participating.

And exactly THAT will not be the case now!

 
At 4:19 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

2:33 PM - What about the word invalid don't you understand?

The CNEV challenge was invalid & for SNG & the poodles it had to be proven in NYSC.

But ask yourself who's idea & abomination was the CNEV challenge? That is were you fail to understand were blame lies. EB & SNG of course. They've wasted all this time & will continue to waste more time as they want to make the Deed into something it can not be...try F1 vision.

The writing is in the letters that EB & SNG are sticking to pass statements about going the route of the DoG 1v1. While GGYC offer a mutual consent MC. So in that case maybe you should ask EB & SNG about your statement "All of them have been multi-entry elimination regattas with teams from all over the world participating" Isn't that shutting out everyone?

Hopefully there will be a solution for a AC32 style event which has been offered by GGYC. The ball is in EB & SNG court whether they want to keep pushing vs the yachting world & sailing community.

 
At 4:33 PM, Blogger solvacc said...

Wow, I cannot believe the AC ignorance on this board. Fact: SNG/Alinghi is the only club currently negotiating the protocol that has been found GUILTY of breaching the Deed. And Da Hog is right...the AC was traditionally not a MC event, although we have all recently come to embrace it. Either way, the AC is finally heading back to the water now that SNG has been FORCED to cooperate.

 
At 5:10 PM, Anonymous Norberto said...

WetHogie, unfortunately you are still about five steps behind everybody, still caught up in your silly conspiracy theories contemplating CNEV. If uncle Larry would have been quicker(i.e. using his brains) he could have been the first to present the challenge. Its first come first serve.

The really sad part is that you are not considering the rest of the world: 18 teams who have unanimously agreed with Allinghi to a common protocol for the next AC. But that's out the window now, and it means at least 3-4 years waiting time for all the challengers while cray Larry gets his latest toy out of the garage to (get another beating .... :)

Look, while you are arguing about CNEV and spinning wild conspiracy theories the rest of the world was way ahead of you, WetGhogie .... turn on the switch upstairs (if you can find it) and realize that the protocol was done, finished, agreed upon, ready to go sailing.

That wont be happening now, that's for sure!

 
At 7:25 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

5:10 PM - too funny!!!

"Conspiracy theories " - The paperwork available on the Internet shows w/ signatures & dates that CNEV rubber stamped their(SNG) challenge & protocol even before the last race.

Once again SNG as a Trustee has breached the Deed. All this to get their way with a unfair protocol, to wheel/deal w/ Valencia & to shut out qualified challengers.

As Curious Carlos has stated "Fact: SNG/Alinghi is the only club currently negotiating the protocol that has been found GUILTY of breaching the Deed."

Yes, SNG is the only Trustee to be found in breach of the Deed. They strung that out for 2 years at the expense of The Cup, all the challengers & etc. Great mark in sporting history & The Cup they have created for themselves.

Btw the statement of "protocol was done, finished, agreed upon, ready to go sailing" is stupid at best. Just because the majority of you make up the rules & your reality doesn't make it right for the rest of us. Especially when those actions breach a legal document. Shame on you!!! Where's your integrity & sportsmanship.

 
At 1:02 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Americans are pissed because they haven't won an AC since Amrica3 in 1992. So they use their own court system to gain an advantage.

The really funny part is how they are explaining their intentions to be the defenders of the free world (and they seem to even believe it themselves). Sort of reminds one of the Iraq war, making peace by war, and in the process killing hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians. Only instead of civilians we have 18 international AC teams with sailors, families, supporters, sponsors who all are going to be forgotten.

Because Crazy Larry wants to play with his big toy!

 
At 8:03 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

1:02 AM - What a idiot to make such comparsions. I'm not even to go there.

The 18 are sitting out why??? Seems someone didn't want to follow the rules of the Deed & the 18 were poodles. If don't want to play by the rules or the law don't whine when you are busted & have to do the time.

"18 international AC teams with sailors, families, supporters, sponsors who all are going to be forgotten" All thanks to those who supported the sham.

Btw the Deed has never been about Enrievision so don't keep on whinnig about being out of a job & etc when don't understand the rules & law of the Deed. You just can't go around changing The Cup because you want to have F1 type business & job.

Bottomline is EB/SNG/Alinghi, CNEV RFEV, Valencia & their poodles could follow the rules & got busted in the world media. Because of that you better ask them they are going to put the pressure on where the problem started & still lays which is EB/SNG/Alinghi.

 

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