Please select your home edition
Edition
C-Tech 2021 (Spars-QFX Racer) 728x90 TOP

America's Cup: Informants exited by America's Cup Events and Emirates Team NZ

by Emirates Team NZ/Sail-World.com 29 Jun 2020 01:47 PDT 29 June 2020
Emirates Team New Zealand's base in Auckland's Viaduct Harbour © Richard Gladwell

The America's Cup Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand have published a statement this late this evening, June 29, advising that they have outed a group of "informants" who are claimed to have made "highly defamatory and inaccurate allegations regarding financial and structural matters against ACE, ETNZ and its personnel."

The role of identities of those involved have not been disclosed, however they appear to have been working for America's Cup Events (ACE) the event organisation arm of Emirates Team New Zealand, charged with organising the America's Cup onshore events. Emirates Team New Zealand is the race team and Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron are responsible for the on the water race management of the America's Cup regattas in Auckland.

The full statement reads:

Six months ago Emirates Team New Zealand and ACE (America’s Cup Event Ltd) became suspicious that we had informants in the event organisation (ACE), and these suspicions were confirmed when we had confidential and sensitive information coming back to us from Europe very recently.

The motives of the informants who had access to the Emirates Team New Zealand base can only be guessed at, at this stage.

In addition, these people have made highly defamatory and inaccurate allegations regarding financial and structural matters against ACE, ETNZ and its personnel.

These allegations are entirely incorrect.

As a result, the contract of the informants has been terminated.

Although these allegations are baseless, MBIE have no choice but to investigate despite our belief that the motives of the informants are extremely suspect.

We are working with MBIE to close out the remaining issues with them quickly.

Emirates Team New Zealand and ACE will not let this set us back in our America’s Cup defence or hosting of a great event this summer.

The story was broken earlier this evening by Todd Niall, an experienced America's Cup reporter for Stuff.co.nz working in conjunction with another Stuff reporter.

The Stuff story which appeared to predicate the media release from Emirates Team New Zealand can be read by clicking here

For an update on the situation and an interview with Grant Dalton first broadcast on Radio New Zealand, on Tuesday morning (NZT) click here

Related Articles

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
America's Cup: Carlo's insights 1983-2024
Leading Italian lensman Carlo Borlenghi has been shooting the America's Cups for 41 years Carlo Borlenghi is the go-to photographer for many of the world's top sailing events and has covered every America's Cup since 1983 when he was assigned to the Azzurra team for Italy's first challenge. Posted on 30 Aug
America's Cup: A seismic shift for sailing
For the first time in its 174-year history, female sailors will be mandated onboard AC75s This week's announcement from the America's Cup felt momentous. For the first time in its 174-year history, female sailors will be mandated onboard AC75s at the pinnacle of our sport. Posted on 15 Aug
America's Cup: The Brave, New Protocol
The just announced Protocol for the America's Cup has many innovations and a few fish hooks The just announced Protocol for the America's Cup has many innovations, and maybe a few unintended consequences around the mandatory re-use of 2024 vintage AC75 hulls. Updated with a look at how the new Cup structure could work. Posted on 12 Aug
America's Cup: A "ground breaking" partnership
An innovative Protocol for the 2027 America's Cup has been agreed between RNZYS and RYS An innovative 11th hour Protocol for the 2027 America's Cup has been agreed between the Challenger of Record and the Defender. It creates a commercial framework for the current and future Cups, eases nationality rules, and has a quota for female sailors. Posted on 12 Aug
McDYachts_Pyewacket-for-Sale_1456x180 BOTTOMSelden 2020 - FOOTERHenri-Lloyd Dynamic Range