The defenders of and challengers for the America’s Cup have been engaged in a war of words over “transparency” and other issues relating to the 38th running of the event.
As Marine Industry News reports, the spat began on Thursday (22 May) when Sir Ben Ainslie’s Artemis Racing, the Challenger of Record, released a statement accusing Emirates Team New Zealand and the Italian government of an “ongoing lack of transparency” regarding the announcement of Naples as the host venue, before an event protocol has been agreed.
“Typically, a host agreement has only followed the publication of an agreed protocol,” the statement read. “In the absence of an agreed protocol, it is therefore difficult to understand what exactly has been agreed between Team New Zealand and the Government of Italy as the sporting framework and details of the event do not yet exist.”
Later on Thursday, fellow challengers NYYC American Magic voiced their support for Artemis “in their efforts to secure an open and balanced protocol”, adding that “without the meaningful changes they are advocating, it is difficult to see how [we] can participate in the 38th America’s Cup”.
Concerns regarding transparency were also cited by Alinghi Red Bull Racing in its withdrawal from the 2027 event last month.
In response, Emirates Team New Zealand released a statement on Friday (23 May) blaming the protocol delay on the process “incorporating many ideas and positions” of the teams involved.
It also claims that it submitted the latest draft — which it has now made publicly available — to Athena Racing on 13 May, prior to the announcement of Naples as the host venue, but “has not had any feedback”.
Furthermore, it alleges that all teams have been offered “full access and transparency” to the host venue agreement details but had not received the requisite signed non-disclosure agreements.
Writing in Sail World, Richard Gladwell explains that one of the sticking points relates to questions around the financial records of the new America’s Cup Partnership (ACP) established to run the America’s Cup match and related preliminary and support series.
“Many of the financial and transparency questions disappear if all teams have [representation on the board of ACP] — but this structure is not in the protocol,” Gladwell says.
Marine Industry News has more on the situation HERE.
