The US America's Cup team Oracle claims to have caught Laurie Davidson, the designer from the opposing syndicate One World, spying. Davidson was reportedly observed looking through binoculars at the water of the new Oracle boat "USA 71".
The New Zealand designer, who has already been accused by his compatriots of taking secret information about the last Cup winner "NZL 60" to his new employer, has once again been criticised.
However, many consider the current incident to be ridiculous. There is now a debate as to whether the use of binoculars is contrary to the America's Cup protocol. The protocol explicitly states that opposing boats may be viewed from land, but not in order to obtain design information.
Oracle argues that if a designer looks at the lines of their boat with binoculars, it can only be for the purpose of obtaining information about performance data. This is a clear violation of the protocol. The company reserves the right to take further action.
One World commented on the incident as follows: "Mr Davidson is the best-known designer in New Zealand. He would hardly have stood in front of Oracle Base in public with binoculars if he had wanted to secretly spy on something. In our opinion, visual observations are permitted."
