Teamorigin, the syndicate owned by British billionaire Sir Keith Mills, will not be entering the Cup in 2013. The reasons are like a slap in the face to the defender BMW Oracle Racing.
"After three years of waiting in the wings, I am bitterly disappointed that we will not be competing," Mills is quoted as saying in a team statement. "For Teamorigin, the format and schedule is simply not sustainable," Mills continued.
It was a campaign with great potential. Three years ago, Sir Keith Mills founded Teamorigin and wanted to be Alinghi's challenger in the 33rd Cup final. He had agreed to the Swiss protocol at the time. But things turned out differently for the match between the two multihulls. Mills went into a holding pattern, most recently signing Alinghi's former design coordinator Grant Simmer and three-time Olympic gold medallist Ben Ainslie.
The cancellation is all the more of a slap in the face for the defender BMW Oracle Racing. After all, the new concept with fixed-wing catamarans was supposed to lead from the "Fred Flintstone age" to the "Facebook generation", as Russell Coutts, Team Principal of BMW Oracle Racing, so eloquently put it. Mills obviously does not see this modernisation as a success. The Cup format as presented is neither economically viable nor would it promise an attractive sporting event, the statement continues.
In an interview with the British magazine Yachting World, Mills says: "I don't like the class rule, I think it has some serious problems. For example, I don't know how you're supposed to sail with something like that in 33 knots of wind. When I asked Oracle about it, they didn't have an answer." He continues: "There are very few sailors in the world who can move boats like this and very few designers who have ever designed a 40-metre wing. From our starting point, there were many question marks regarding the feasibility. We came to the conclusion that there was not enough time to build two multihulls and learn how to sail them. It might be possible if you're two months ahead of Oracle and everyone else, but for a mere mortal it's a big challenge."
Mills is also unable to comprehend the promised cost reduction. "The costs are around 20 per cent higher than participating in the 32nd Americas Cup in Valencia. But there are only three years left, not four. So you have 20 per cent more costs in 25 per cent less time. Ultimately, there are only two years left to sell commercial rights."
However, the cancellation does not come as a complete surprise. Mills had already expressed his disapproval beforehand and allegedly also addressed corresponding comments about the rules and format to the defender. However, the timing is remarkable. Because the venue has not yet been officially decided, and in simple terms the cancellation means as much as: No matter where, it's not feasible.
"I had to make this decision so quickly," says Mills, "because if we wanted to have a chance, we should have started construction now."
A decision will now be made in the coming months as to whether the team will take part in other events. This could please the organisers of the Audi Medcup, as the sponsor has surprisingly just signed up for another three years.
For Ben Ainslie, the path to another Olympic campaign could now be clear. Originally, he had wanted to ride on two tracks, but the early timing of the next Cup in 2013 made it impossible to prepare for the 2012 Games at the same time.
Official entries for the 34th Americas Cup can be submitted from 1 November. The French campaign Aleph Team France has just expressed its interest. It is supported by the French Sailing Federation and is to be installed as a talent factory.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
