Please select your home edition
Edition
RS Sailing 2021 - LEADERBOARD

America's Cup: DutchSail not marking time over Arb Panel Hearing

by Richard Gladwell Sail-World NZ 18 Feb 2019 11:06 NZDT 18 February 2019
Simeon Tienpont - DutchSail walkabout on the America's Cup bases - February 15, 2019 © Richard Gladwell

DutchSail team leader, Simeon Tienpont says the team is flattered that the three Super Teams are taking them so seriously when they have "only just dried the wet from behind our ears."

That was about all the leader of the first ever Dutch America's Cup Challenge could say about the America's Cup Arbitration Panel complaint, which has been lodged by the Challenger of Record with the apparent backing of the other two "Super Teams" who entered 2021 America's Cup regatta.

The complaint will be heard next month before a formal Arbitration Panel Hearing in Auckland. It concerns the acceptance of three late entries by Emirates Team New Zealand

Tienpont says that the Dutch team has not put its effort on hold pending the outcome of the Hearing which is believed to relate to the payment of entry fees and dates on which some USD$4million of entry fee and performance bond is required to be paid.

He says the idea of the Challenge only really came about after the end of the last Volvo Ocean Race, where he skippered one of two Dutch entries - pointing out that his team Team AskoNobel was first to finish Leg 6 in Auckland almost a year ago on February 27, 2018.

The purpose of his visit was to meet with Emirates Team New Zealand, suppliers and have a look at facilities in Auckland. He is accompanied by the newly appointed Team CEO Eelco Blok, who is in Auckland despite not being due to start officially until March 1.

The decision to go ahead with the Challenge under the name of Team The Netherlands, with the team now running under the moniker of "DutchSail".

The decision to Challenge was only made last October 2018 - a month before the Late Entry deadline of November 30, 2018.

Currently the team has 14-15 people and has not made a final decision on whether or not to purchase a basic package that is on offer from Emirates Team New Zealand - and option that has/is being taken up by the two other Late Entry teams.

Tienpont makes the point that it may be an option to unbundle the Emirates Team New Zealand offering - taking some modules of the design and doing the other modules in-house.

Part of his Auckland agenda is to negotiate details of the package purchase, and make a decision, on design.

The Dutch AC75 is not yet in build , as such has no chance of making the Protocol required first America's Cup World Series regatta in Cagliari, in October 2019.

Other sources have it that the Cagliari series is almost certain to be postponed into 2020, and all teams will be required to compete.

One of the themes emanating from Tienpont, is that while they have started late, the gap between the Late Challengers and Supper Teams is not widening - however history will be the judge of that thesis.

DutchSail made headlines with the announcement of Volvo Ocean Race winner Carolijn Brouwer as one of the crew who will helm the AC75. While much has been made of that choice, it is reasonably obvious from this juncture that the teams will have to run 20 or more sailors in their squad, and that would include at least two who are capable of helming as well as other functions on the boat.

"When I first called Carolijn, she made it clear she wouldn't be doing a grinding role," Tienpont chuckles.

But then he makes the serious point that she was included because of her understanding of how sailing campaigns are run at a professional level. Brouwer's three Olympic campaigns in three classes, along with two Volvo Ocean Races are an impressive level of experience, regardless of gender.

Tienpont makes it refreshingly clear that she was selected on merit and not to strike a resonance with sponsors and fans. He adds that the objective with other women bought into the team, and in fact, all members of what is a start up team will be to bring them up to the level required to function effectively and contribute to a professional sailing team.

Over the weekend, Sail-World had a second and longer interview with Tienpont, which will be published later this week.

Related Articles

America's Cup: Controversial agreement signed
According to Italian media, the secret AC Partnership agreement has been signed by CoR/D* International sailing journalist, Fabio Pozo, writing for the Milan based newspaper La Stampa, reports that the secret America's Cup Partnership (ACP) agreement is expected to be signed next week. Posted on 21 Sep
America's Cup: Vision for the Naples unveiled
Emirates Team NZ and Sport e Salute unveiled the vision for the America's Cup in Naples in 2027. Emirates Team NZ and Sport e Salute, the publicly-owned Italian company responsible for promoting sports and a healthy lifestyle across the nation, unveiled the vision for the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples in 2027. Posted on 20 Sep
Womens America's Cup opportunities expand
the pathway for female athletes has never been stronger than in the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup 2024 and the inaugural Puig Women's America's Cup was announced following the publication of the Protocol for the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup in Barcelona. It was a moment not only for women's sport and equality but showed that the America's Cup was Posted on 19 Sep
America's Cup: The Elephant(s) in the Room
Some shafts of light have been shed on the negotiation positions of the Challengers and Defender. With nearly 250 pages of America's Cup regulations released, it's clear both the Challenger and Defender have ben forced to take a pragmatic stance on the Naples Cup. Some shafts of light have been shed on the positions of the Challengers and Defender. Posted on 18 Sep
America's Cup: Luna Rossa's Challenge accepted
According to local media the Italian team, Luna Rossa has had its Challenge accepted by the Kiwis. Leading America's Cup journalist, Fabio Pozzo, reports that the Italian team, Luna Rossa has had its Challenge accepted for the 2027 Cup in Naples. Posted on 12 Sep
America's Cup: ETNZ's design boss on new AC75 Rule
Kiwi design chief, Dan Bernasconi on recycled AC75 hulls, electric power and other rule changes. Kiwi design chief, Dan Bernasconi on the use of recycled AC75 hulls, the switch to full electric power, and other changes. He claims there is plenty of performance gain left in the AC75 for the designer teams. Posted on 12 Sep
America's Cup: Class Rule and Tech Regs out
The America's Cup Class Rule and Technical Regulations for the Naples Match have been published With the clock ticking down to the start of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples in 2027, the AC75 Class Rules and Technical Regulations have been issued to all teams and published with a focus on cost containment. Posted on 11 Sep
America's Cup: Running silent and deep, again.
A look at the flotsam that has surfaced as the Cup teams again go into deep and silent negotiation. A look at the state of the Cup - given the three weeks of silence since the hasty final Protocol signing. Previously a long deep dive by the teams has indicated that a lot of negotiation is underway. Here's what we've seen floating on the surface. Posted on 10 Sep
From The Other Side - The State of the Sport
The editors of Sail-World New Zealand and Inside Great Lakes Sailing discuss the state of sailing. The Editors of Inside Great Lakes Sailing and Sail-World New Zealand got together last week to shoot the breeze in an unscripted video discussion, without any pre-arranged "talking points" about various aspects of the sport. Posted on 5 Sep
Youth America's Cup set to continue in Naples
The Youth America's Cup is a sign-post to the future direction of the America's Cup itself. Since its inaugural event in 2013, the Youth America's Cup, designed as a competition for sailors under the age of 25, has always been the most remarkable sign-post to the future direction of the America's Cup itself. Posted on 4 Sep
Hyde Sails 2024 - One DesignBoatseekr_LeaderBoard_58 - BOTTOMCollinsonCo 728x90 BOTTOM