"They just won't compete," complained Grant Dalton, the frustrated boss of the New Zealanders, in the New Zealand Herald newspaper about Artemis Racing's late entry into the Louis Vuitton Cup, the regatta series that is supposed to determine the opponent of defending champion Oracle Team USA. "As part of the safety recommendations, the fine of 100,000 US dollars for not competing in a race has been waived, which means they can simply continue to stay away." Whether the Artemis races of the five preliminary rounds, which are currently still in the Schedule The question as to whether the races listed in the "Ghost Races" will be cancelled or whether Luna Rossa and Team New Zealand will actually have to do their lonesome laps in "ghost races" in order to collect the point for the victory has not yet been officially clarified.
As already reported Only the Kiwis will compete against Luna Rossa in the five preliminary rounds, with the winner of this duel automatically progressing to the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup, while the loser will sail a consolation round in August against the Artemis boat, which may be ready for action by then. But there are also plenty of doubts about this behind the scenes. According to Dalton, Artemis objected to a proposal by the New Zealanders and Italians to start the Louis Vuitton Cup on 19 July. Because neither team is keen on always having to race against the same opponent in a circle. But the Swedes blocked it. "In the end, Artemis was the problem," says Dalton. "They are the official challenger who can veto changes to the regatta protocol, and that's exactly what they did. If there were five teams competing, they would have been kicked out long ago. But because there aren't enough participants, the regatta has to bend to their terms and Luna Rossa has to pay the price."
In stark contrast to the whitewashing of the organisers (ACEA boss Stephen Barclay: "I'm quite sure that the Swedish team will receive enormous support and sympathy"), the news service Bloomberg News has turned its attention to Oracle boss Larry Ellison. Under the title " How Larry Ellison is ruining the America's Cup " it read, among other things: "... not even sailing billionaires are willing to spend $100 million (on boats) that meet Ellison's absurd specifications .... Of course, no story about a megalomaniac billionaire imposing his will on a sport would be complete without fleecing the taxpayers. San Francisco has spent millions to redevelop its harbour facilities, while admitting that Ellison's promises ... were mostly hype."
The result, according to author Jonathan Mahler, is the sporting equivalent of Apple's Newton (an early tablet computer, ed.) or Microsoft's Bob (a legendary software flop, ed.): "a disruptive, innovative and colossal failure". In Silicon Valley, failure is a prerequisite for success, Mahler continues. "In sailing, the lesson is somewhat different: innovation does not always mean progress. And it is also possible for one man alone to destroy the oldest and most famous regatta in the sport."
