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Oracle reject Alinghi's rules
2010-01-20 07:56
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Madrid - America's Cup challengers Oracle on Tuesday rejected the rules for the 33rd edition of the race proposed by Alinghi, arguing they are "heavily biased" in favour the Swiss defender, and said they would ask a jury to revise the rules before the match.
In a statement Oracle said both the "Notice of Race" and the "Sailing Instructions" submitted by the Swiss team "are riddled with errors" and they continue the "practice of interpreting rules - or creating new ones - solely to favour Alinghi and harm the chances of the challenger."
The dispute over the rules further diminishes the chances that the multihull duel between the two sides will begin off the coast of Valencia in eastern Spain on February after Alinghi on Monday turned down an offer by Oracle to settle a dispute over the Swiss team's sails.
Under the America's Cup rules, a challenger proposes to race the defending champion, and together they plan the terms of the next race.
But Oracle said the Societie Nautique de Geneve (SNG), which represents Alinghi, ignored its input as well as feedback provided by ISAF, the sport's world governing body, during a meetings held last week in Singapore and last month in Sydney.
"It is clearer than ever that SNG is hell-bent on making the America's Cup the Alinghi Cup. We now look to the International Jury to reinstate the correct and proper rules and procedures," it said in the statement.
Oracle said Alinghi has set wind and wave limits which favour its own yacht, set the starting time for races even though this should be decided by both sides by mutual consent and banned wind detection equipment currently being used by the US side which had been previously allowed.
The two sides have been arguing over the rules of the America's Cup in court since the Swiss syndicate won the last edition in Valencia in 2007.
The New York court ruled in April that the Cup should be settled by a one-on-one multihull duel between the two sides next February instead of the traditional fully-fledged regatta involving several teams.
Earlier on Tuesday, the giant trimaran Oracle took to the water off Spain for the first time.
The US yacht, with its 50-metre fixed-wing sail, sailed in the bay off the Mediterranean port of Valencia, with Australia's James Spithill at the helm.
"Everyone was very excited to get out on the water," Oracle team CEO Russell Coutts said after the boat was sailed at the sight of the 33rd America's Cup for the first time.
Coutts said the boat, which had been called the BOR 90, was now named the USA. It was sporting the name USA emblazoned on its stern when it hit the water.