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Oracle Team USA accused rivals of spying

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The International Jury probably wants to close their eyes tightly and not see these guys from the America's Cup anymore «» . But that would be too easy. A new complaint was dropped on the table on 19 August in which Oracle Team USA accuses both Cup contenders Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand of spying on AC45 catamarans in an attempt to ferret out team secrets.» OTUSA assures that one of the provisions of the Protocol governing the America's Cup has been violated «. There is indeed such a provision under number 37.2 and it says that peeping is bad and punishable. It is clear from the published information that the New Zealanders and Italians were reprehensibly close to the American AC45. However, the nature of the incident is unknown.


What we can learn from looking at similar AC45s (well, Oracle has them special, of course!) and how it will help us in racing with catamarans of AC72 class, history is silent. Perhaps we will know when the answer to the complaint becomes known.


The New Zealanders themselves have already responded to the allegations, calling them ridiculous. The guys do not deny that they were on the pier next to the OTUSA catamarans moored there. It would be difficult on their part not to: ETNZ is helping the young Kiwis with AC45 boat preparations for the Red Bull Youth America's Cup in early September. The «youngsters at» are just having training this week. For the same reason and on the same pier the AC45s of the American youth team are moored. The boats of both the former and the latter belong to older mates.


The New Zealand team has suggested that «the spying move» is just an attempt to confuse the Jury, which is now considering another complaint about the ill-fated AC45 catamarans belonging to Oracle and modified by the team without approval.

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