Team Dennis Conner Protests OneWorld

by Peter Rusch on 26 Nov 2002 One day after filing a joint submission (with Prada) to the America’s Cup Arbitration Panel (ACAP) regarding the OneWorld case, Team Dennis Conner has now also lodged a protest with the International Jury against OneWorld.

TeamDC, representing the New York Yacht Club, is seeking a ruling that would disqualify the Seattle Yacht Club’s OneWorld Challenge from the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America’s Cup.

The protest, to be heard by the International Jury claims that OneWorld has breached Fundamental Rule 2 (Fair Sailing) of the Racing Rules of Sailing, which reads, in part, “A boat and her owner shall compete in compliance with recognized principles of sportsmanship and fair play. A boat may be penalized under this rule only if it is clearly established that these principles have been violated.”



As in its joint submission to the ACAP, the Protest claims that OneWorld wasn’t fully forthcoming when it admitted to some America’s Cup Protocol violations to the Panel. This resulted in a one-point penalty that was applied against OneWorld after Round Robin Two of the Louis Vuitton Cup in October.



The new submission claims OneWorld committed numerous violations of the America’s Cup Protocol, one of the governing documents of the America’s Cup competition.

On Monday evening, the ACAP stated that it may take up to six weeks to convene before ruling on the new allegations received Sunday. As that timeline seems less than ideal in consideration of the Louis Vuitton Cup competition schedule, many interested parties are working to try and speed up the process.



For its part, the International Jury has indicated it will hold a hearing on Tuesday evening to decide on the validity of Monday’s Protest, along with jurisdiction issues.



Racing for the Quarter Final Repechage between Team Dennis Conner and OneWorld, along with Prada and Victory Challenge is scheduled on Tuesday.