AC 45 World Championship Cheating??

I have nothing but utter contempt for the Lynch Mob.

 

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Oracle Racing Team USA, on the left.

The IJ, on the right?

lol

 

LOL, yes, when you are born in the Bronx & are also a dyslexic... It's a marvel that I can get by in English. Thank God for the truism: "A students work for C students, B students teach." ROTFFLMAO! GO OTUSA

 

I think there are a few things at play here :
1) either they were cheating, or they weren't.
2) The IJ are the decision-makers on the above, after doing their homework.
3) We need to trust their ability to make this decision without outside interference. If they decided that OR should be dsq'ed from the entire event and hand the cup straight to ETNZ, they should have the courage to make that decision. Without fear of how any 'commercial rights', 'financially interested parties' or other issues need to be handled. They should be able to decide on the issue neutrally as if it were no more than a group of kids being caught for cheating in a club race. (IF found guilty of cheating..). IF IT CAN BE PROVEN that OR was cheating, the appropriate punishment should be imposed. Whatever punishment the IJ /ISAF believe to be appropriate without taking the commercial issues into consideration.
So if a 2 year ban on the entire team is appropriate, the IJ should not care whether the event happens or not, whether the city of SF gets it's return on investment or not, sponsor's requirements to TV coverage etc. They should only decide on what is right for the sport of sailing, which is to show the world that cheating will not be tolerated and the guilty will be sent home early. Event over, please collect your refunds.

Sadly I believe that they have delayed their decision because they are probably trying to make sure their own careers in sailing remain intact after this mess, and that their decision won't set off a nasty chain of legal repurcussions against themselves by people who have enough money to make anybody's life a misery if they choose to.

 

Something I'd Like To See

It's so curious, we have such similar views on this!

 

^^^

The Ap is reportedly expecting a 700 word press release in 2 hours, 2am Paris time:

- SAN FRANCISCO - A jury is expected to announce penalties against defending America's Cup champion Oracle Team USA for illegally modifying prototype boats in warmup regattas. 700 words by 8 p.m.

LINK

via DufferAlert

 

I'm sure Don Ellisione's lawyer is saying:
1. You cheated, Check
2. Your previous cheating is not connected to the America's Cup, Check
3. You continue to have every right to Defend the America's Cup, Check

So, Don Ellisione, stick the gun in your mouth or in theirs. Choose your poison.

Sport Illustrated's headline says it so well... "penalties against... Oracle Team USA for illegally modifying prototype boats in warmup regattas."

 

Oracle Team USA is still the same team with the same crew and management and therefore the punishment (whatever that will be) applies to them. The AC45 were one design not prototypes so should only have been repaired or modified in accordance with the measurement tolerances and requirements and/or with permission given by the measurement committee for the modifications to be made. I'm sure Oracle Team USA would have been fine with the book being thrown at any other team that had infringed the measurement requirements.

 

I'm disappointed. You're repeating the same argument over & over again. I agree they cheated, I agree they should be stripped of anything they "won" in the AC45 series. BUT:
1. The AC45 series didn't determine any America's Cup eligibility.
2. It didn't involve the same boats.
3. It didn't involve the same design rule(s)

I repeat, if you use corked bats in Spring Training, why would you take away a Pennant from a winning Yankee team. What is the connection? What bylaw, rule, provision did they violate?

 

Yes it was a separate regatta but it is the same team. They have conceded the AC45 regatta but I cant think of any form of professional sport where the player or team that has made the infringement decides their own punishment.

I'm looking forward to the judgement and hope if a punishment is meted out it is fair and reasonable. The best thing that can happen is the Oracle Team USA and ETNZ get a chance to battle it out on the water.

 

Who ever made the statement I ask what are they on about.

Most yanks are complaining its not a yank team as about only 2 yanks are on the boat.

Coutts is a KIWI and Spithill is a Aussie.

It was their boats. They where the Skippers and as some one has all ready said to alter a boat to that degree they the Skippers must have known.

So why are you bagging the yanks when its probably not warranted.

Try drinking wine instead of smoking.

OC

 

Are you sure its the same team. It might be in name only.

Ben Ans a Britian was in Britian at the time the boats where altered should he be banned as well. No.

He was on a separate team / Boat in the 45s was he not. Oracle had three teams.

Others in the 72 team also where not around when the so called called alterations took place.

Lance Armstrong got caught cheating but did the whole Mail team get a life ban or punishment. No Only Lance was stripped of all his same titles [ Tour de France only. ]

OC

 

...

AP's Bernie Wilson with an update on the Jury's most recent delay:

If they were only dealing with assessing a penalty for a bag of lead shot and a modified kingpost, this wouldn't be taking so long.

 

Hey guys, let's put it this way - what would have happened if the cheat was discovered DURING the AC45 world series? What consequences would the cheat have on the subsequent AC races?
Would the crew of the irregular boats be banned from participating to the AC races? Would the technical team be banned from the AC?
Informed answers only, please.

 

Daiquiri, I would imagine this issue would have then been handled as other issues where cheating in sailing by way of modifying boats illegally occurred in a high-level regatta.
If I'm not mistaken, in another case similar to this, the boat owner and skipper were given a 2 year ban from competing in any sailing event affiliated to ISAF.

I do think that the whole problem with this issue is that, without penalising the whole team, the team head could just choose two or three less important members of the team to be the scapegoats, declare that they did the whole thing with no-one else's knowledge, and these team members then take all the punishment, of course with a healthy retirement fund from the team's sponsor in exchange for a discreetly signed non-disclosure agreement. This is the type of thing the IJ needs to ensure can't happen, so I do think that their decision has to be some form of punishment handed to the team as a whole.
I also think that, due to the vested financial interests involved, the punishment won't be as severe as it perhaps should be, if it has been proven that they were in fact cheating, which, by what the IJ has already posted, it would seem they have already decided is the case.