Oracle Racing, the America's Cup challenger syndicate owned by software tycoon Larry Ellison, has confirmed that Chris Dickson, one of the world's best match racers, has been dropped from the Sailing Team.
This is already the second team-internal boat ban for a sailing celebrity, after the same thing happened to Paul Cayard.
Team manager Bill Erkelens said that Dickson would "take on other duties at Tam". "Chris has been one of the leading sailing professionals in the world for over 25 years and I can assure you that he can continue to contribute his knowledge of challenger activity over the remaining months."
Dickson was quoted in a prepared statement: "Whilst I would prefer to be on the water, I am happy to be allocated to the areas the team feel I could help the most. Oracle Racing has a fantastic team with a lot of talent and I'll be working where Larry Ellison and his advisors believe I'm best suited."
The change of position had nothing to do with personal disputes between Ellison and Dickson, but rather with differences between Dickson and the crew. Dickson had been a fixture in Ellison's sailing activities for many years, long before the Americas Cup campaign. For example, he steered Ellison's maxi "Sayonara" safely through the tragic Sydney-Hobart Race in 1998 to victory. The accidents during training, the keel being lost twice and a broken mast, were also not the decisive factor.
The hot contender for the helmsman's post is now the Swede Peter Holmberg, also one of the world's best match racers.
Lars Bolle
Chief Editor Digital
