The Afterguard - 33rd America's Cup In Disarray

The Afterguard turns its back for 5 minutes & the entire world seems to go stark raving mad...

Allegedly, Alinghi's Simon Daubney has tested positive for traces of cocaine, and if true, money's power to corrupt in sport is yet again proven... [Source: NZ Herald]

The billionaire's boys club stage a short-lived love-in (by phone), yet while both parties sound increasingly anxious to avoid the car crash they've both contributed to, they remain on course to inflict mortal wounds not on each other so much, but on the Auld Mug itself. [Source: The Telegraph/GGYC]

ACM survey the rising tide:

ACM to reassess the feasibility of the America’s Cup in Valencia in 2009 03-10-2007

As a consequence of the uncertainty and the delays arising from the Golden Gate Yacht Club Law suit in New York, AC Management (ACM) is concerned that the feasibility of organising the next America’s Cup in Valencia in 2009 has been effectively compromised.

ACM will in the coming days engage in consultations with the Defender, the Challenger of Record, the Competitors and the Spanish Authorities on this specific matter.

ACM is considering all options, including the possibility of postponing the event to a later date.

In the meantime, ACM understands that SNG continues to try to find a resolution of the dispute pending with Golden Gate Yacht Club in New York.

--Ends-- [Source: ACM]

Desafio Español throws itself onto the pyre:

Statement from Desafío Español

Regarding the press release issued today by ACM in which declares its concern about the “the possibility of postponing the event to a later date”, Desafío Español states its unconditional support to the Spanish and Valencian authorities, the Defender and the Organisation of the America’s Cup.

Desafío Español understands that the organisation of a sporting event of this magnitude must be done without haste and under the best consensus atmosphere between all the parties involved.

For this reason, Desafío Español shows its conformity with the proposed conversations between ACM, the Defender, the Challenger of Record, the competitors and the Spanish Authorities in which Desafío Español will participate actively.

Desafío Español also hopes that, as a result of these conversations, the 33rd America’s Cup can be celebrated in the initially proposed dates.

Meanwhile, Desafío Español continues working towards the next edition of the America’s Cup, configuring the structure of the team and developing its plans.
--Ends-- [Source: Desafio Español]

Meanwhile TEAMORIGIN trademark themselves, no doubt praying they get the opportunity to merchandise. [Source: UK Intellectual Property Office]

So with little hope for an America's Cup before 2011, we at The Afterguard are seriously considering crawling back under our stone and enjoying another vacation... of course what all this activity really means is that a resolution will likely be found before the end of the week. Nowt so strange...

Desafio Español Announce Farr Yacht Design But No Crew

Today's scheduled press conference with Desafio Español revealed detail of the team's appointed designers, but not of their crew.

Farr Yacht Design will be joined by an as yet unnamed second party to form DE's design team, under John Cutler's continuing Technical Directorship.

It's well worth keeping an eye on Valencia Sailing's take on the news, Here which includes the audio of the conference (in Spanish, of course). We're hoping for a release in English, but until we have an alternative, here's Google's take on the Spanish language press release:

Spanish Desafío presents/displays its new structure for 33ª America´s Cup

Valencia, 10 of September of 2007

Spanish Desafío has presented/displayed today to Mass media the new organizational chart of the union facing its participation in 33ª America´s Cup. Miguel Angel Garcia-Juez, chief of a main directorate of Communication and Institutional Relations, presented/displayed to the new chief of a main directorate Financiero and Marketing, Enrique Planells.

Also, Garcia-Juez explained that the main directorate of the Spanish union is formed by three great areas of management: Technical-Sport, whose director as continuous month of July announced the past being Agustín Zulueta. The Financial area and Marketing in charge of Enrique Planells, and finally the area of Institutional Communication-Relation with Miguel Angel Garcia-Juez to the front.

On the other hand, Agustín Zulueta explained that during these months since finalized 32ª America´s Cup has been continued working with a group of 28 people, “has been a difficult time of draftees. The next Monday 17 of September new incorporations are predicted and we will count on a list of around 60 people”.

Desafío Spanish added “part of a budget of 60 million euros guaranteed and assured by our main patrocinador Iberdrola”.

One of the main characteristics this edition is the design. “The boat is going to have much more importance, since it is going to be one more an opened competition and the great equipment is going to be threatened because any more modest equipment can remove a competitive boat”,

Zulueta also talked about the company/signature, the last week, with the technical office of Farr Yatch Design “although John Cutler it will continue assuming the direction of the technical office and 60% of the resources of the technical office will continue being such”.

The head of the union said that there will be another main designer along with Farr Yatch Design “who will be in time complete in the base of Spanish Desafío”. “At the end of this month we want to have all our technical office in the base and the first week of October we will be able to facilitate 95% of the draftees of the crew”.

The next Saturday 15 of September is predicted that the meeting of the equipment until now enrolled in 33ª is held edition to treat the new class. “Right now we know that they are going to be boats of 90 feet, of six meters of openwork, more spectacular boats with a vélica surface of almost the double, but not yet nothing of the design is known”, clarified donostiarra.

To a question on the controversy generated around the Spanish Nautical Club, Zulueta assured that Spanish Desafio has followed a prudence policy, “we do not have anything to say, since it is an external question to our daily management, we worked to be a great equipment. We are making our work with firm step and are going to follow with this dynamics”.

With respect to the possible incorporation of a new Spanish equipment to the competition of more prestigious candle of the world, Zulueta showed that “hopefully projects come that give more importance to Spain and to the candle”.

NOTE: We enclosed CV de Farr Yatch Design. And reviews CV Enrique Planells, Chief of a main directorate Financiero and Marketing.
Miguel Angel Garcia-Juez, Chief of a main directorate Comunicación and Institutional Relaciones.

The photo of the company/signature with Farr Yatch Design you can find it in the page Web in press, photos 2007. Of izda to dcha: Agustín Zulueta, Patrick Shaughnessy, vice-president of Farr Yatch Desgin, and Enrique Planells.
Farr Yacht Design
Farr Yacht Design will be the office of design of Spanish Desafío for the 33 edition of the America´s Cup. Farr Yacht Design is one of the most important companies of design of boats of the world. The boats of Farr been have involved in the America´s Cup from 1987 and during last the 25 years of its table of design they have left winning boats 40 championships of the World in its different modalities, America´s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race, Admiral´s Cup, Sardinia Cup, Commodore´s Cup or Kenwood Cup among other numerous regatas.

This office will provide to the Spanish equipment resources for the development of the new boats of the America´s Cup and an equipment of design and investigation at upper the level with the best tools and qualified personnel to begin of an immediate way the project of design and development.

“We have decided to unite us to Spanish Desafio because we think that of between all the challenges that had contacted with us, the Spanish is the one that better fits for the services that we can provide”, Patrick Shaughnessy said, Vice-president of Farr Yacht Design.

“We are enchanted of being able to bring all our equipment to the project, and to widen our participation beyond the investigation and the work of design to include the strategic planning, the supervision of construction, the optimization of boat and the attendance in the maintenance. ” Ward, the main designer for Spanish Desafio said to Britton.

Boats designed by Farr Yacht Design for America' s Cup
2007 BMW Oracle Racing the USA 87, the USA 98
2003 Oracle BMW Racing the USA 71, the USA 76
2000 Young America the USA 53, the USA 58
1995 Tag Heuer NZL 39
1992 New Zealand Challenge NZL 10, NZL, 12, NZL 14, NZL 20
1988 New Zealand KZ 1
1987 Kiwi Magic KZ 3, KZ 5, KZ 7


Personnel of Farr Yacht Design that will work for Spanish Desafío:
Britton Main Ward Designer
Bryan Baker Designer
Mat Bird- Designer
Mark Bishop- Designer
Russell Bowler- Designer
Chris Cochran- Designer
Bruce Farr- Designer
Alon Finkelstein- Designer
David Fornaro- Designer
Pete Levesque- Designer
Alan Salisch- Designer
Jim Schmicker- Designer
Patrick Shaughnessy- Designer
Luke Shingledecker- Designer
Ann DeVilbiss- Administration
Jennifer Emmet- Administration
Bobbi Hobson- Administration

Reviews Vitae Curriculum

Enrique Planells:

Lawyer in Enterprise Sciences by the University of Valencia and Máster in Direction and administration of Companies in IESE.

Before his incorporation to Spanish Desafío like chief of a main directorate Financiero and Marketing were director of Department of Control and Management of Iberdrola in the Region This (Valencian Community and Murcia).

Miguel Angel Garcia-Juez, chief of a main directorate Comunicación and Institutional Relaciones:

Journalist and economist. Doctor in Sciences of the Information.
President of the Publishing Group Grafic, that groups several economic and professional publications as Auctions Century XXI, Ideas and Businesses, Diners, Club, among others.

--Ends--

Challenge to AC33 Protocol - Let Battle Commence

The Golden Gate Yacht Club challenges the 33rd America's Cup Protocol.

In what has either marred or added interest to (depending on viewpoint) recent America's Cup competition, a not unexpected challenge has been issued in respect of the contents of the recently published 'Protocol Governing The Thirty Third America’s Cup' (we previously covered the news here).

In a series of documents detailed here, the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC - represented by BMW Oracle Racing) yesterday wrote to Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG - represented by holders Alinghi), claiming that the content of the Protocol issued was in fact invalid, for the following reasons:

• The declaration of Club Nautico Espanol de Vela (CNEV - apologies, we can find no website for the club - represented by Desafio Espanol) as Challenger Of Record (COR) is invalid as CNEV is not a bona fide yacht club, effectively only been recently formed for the specific purpose of application as COR.
• CNEV has never held a regatta - a requirement in the Deed of Gift (the document defining the regulations under which the America's Cup takes place).
• CNEV, in becoming COR, has delegated all setting of racing regulations for the 33rd Cup to SNG, at least breaching the spirit of the Deed of Gift in it's requirement that competition should be fair (our interpretation).

Accompanying the letter challenging the 33rd Protocol, GGYC also enclosed their own, 'bona fide' (their words) challenge - presented with 'much pleasure' no less - demanding recognition as legitimate COR.

Most notably, it also cautions that should SNG and they as COR fail to mutually agree upon a new protocol, then the next America's Cup should be undertaken in accordance with the Deeds of Gift, without further influence from the current holders. Amongst other matters, this defines the next match to commence in ten months time, and that the challenger shall have influence over choice of vessel!

It is widely held that the current 33rd AC Protocol is designed to give SNG's Alinghi the maximum competitive advantage over all other challengers, and many consider this as unsporting.

No doubt, a number of other clubs will have made application prior to GGYC's submission dated 11/7/07 - including TeamOrigin's Royal Thames Yacht Club (rumoured to have negotiated to be recognised as COR if Emirates Team New Zealand had won the cup, and to have covered the issue with Alinghi when purchasing the boat SUI 75). We can't imagine, therefore, that if the issued Protocol is torn up, BMW Oracle Racing would ever be seen as COR - unless any team challenging the selection of COR by the cup holder automatically has the right to be COR if successful in that challenge (sorry, we just don't know).

The 'sailing' part of the America's Cup has just ended, and now begins the 'handbags at dawn' component of Sailing's greatest prize.