Oracle Team USA Penalized, Sailor and Shore Crew Excluded from Event

Oracle Team USA penalized in the America's Cup match. Below are some of the stories reporting the penalty:

(Sept 3) The America's Cup Jury issued decisions on several aspects of the "Weight-Gate" case involving illegal modifications of the Oracle Team USA AC45 yachts as used in several America's Cup World Series events.

Most notably for the America's Cup match, Oracle Team USA and Golden Gate YC will be docked the first two points they might earn in the series against Emirates Team New Zealand, representing Royal NZ Yacht Squadron. Since the Match is a first-to-nine-points competition, Oracle Team USA would have to win 11 races on the water in order to defend the America's Cup, while ETNZ would only have to win nine races to win the Match.  Oracle Team USA will also be assessed a $250,000 USD fine.

Read the Jury Decision (JN117) (pdf)
(JN117 addresses Protocol Article 60 issues)

The jury also lifted some of the confidentiality aspects of the proceedings, and weighed in on the roles that individual shore crew and sailors played in the illegal modifications to the boats.  In some cases, the jury found that persons involved were not expert in the rules and apparently did not realize that violations were being committed.  However, in a few cases, the Jury's finding is that the transgression was done with knowledge and intent.  In lifting the confidentiality, most of the figures are now named.  Two shore crew and one sailor, Dirk de Ridder, wingsail trimmer, will be excluded.

Read Jury Decision (JN116) (pdf)
(JN116 addresses RRSAC Rule 69 allegations of Gross Misconduct)

Read Press Releases:
From ACEA: "The International Jury confirmed that only a handful of individuals were involved, and that all members of senior management of Oracle Team USA including skippers Jimmy Spithill and Ben Ainslie, CEO Russell Coutts, General Manager Grant Simmer and Shore Team Director Mark Turner were not aware or involved in any way." Read More

From Oracle Team USA: "The rules infractions involved only a few of our 130 team members, and were done without the knowledge of either our team's management or the skippers who were driving the boats," said team CEO Russell Coutts. Read Team Statement

Read News Stories:
NZ Herald: Oracle Begins Minus 2
and Heavy Toll on Oracle
Also stories at Associated Press and San Jose Mercury News
 

-- From ACEA/©2013 ACEA
 

Additional Links and Info:
Read Oracle Team USA Statement

See America's Cup Regatta Calendar