Emirates Team New Zealand acaba de presentar esta tarde en Nueva York dos demandas judiciales contra Alinghi (o la SNG,o ACM) para lograr una compensación económica a los retrasos e incumplimientos de la 33rd Copa America.
La primera es por no cumplir lo pactado de realizar el evento en el 2009 y la segunda por haber aceptado un club (CNEV) sin los avales suficientes para ser challenger of record.
Estas fueron las declaraciones de Gran Dalton, director general de ETNZ (fuente sailworld):
“The delay in staging the next America’s Cup is harming every challenging syndicate as they have to stretch budgets developed and approved for a two-year campaign over three or four years,” said ETNZ managing director Grant Dalton. “We have a duty to protect the investment in the team over many years by our loyal supporters. We also have an obligation to honor the trust shown by the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who have supported the team through the years.”
“ETNZ and other racing syndicates have made significant financial commitments based on the assurances and legal obligation of Mr. Bartarelli’s organization to defend the Cup in 2009,” said Boies. “He has violated both the spirit and letter of the Deed of Gift at every turn, and is holding this venerable competition hostage in an attempt to control the substantial financial benefits of the event and eliminate competition.”
“That assurance was a pre-condition of our entry,” Dalton said. “Then on November 22 last year, before the Supreme Court of New York had even issued judgment on a challenge by Golden Gate Yacht Club (representing the American team BMW Oracle, headed by Oracle founder Larry Ellison) to the validity of the Spanish challenge, Bertarelli’s AC Management announced that the Cup would be delayed. “Mr. Bertarelli had the chance to accept a reasonable proposal from Oracle, which was also signed by the majority of the challengers, and which would have allowed the America’s Cup to be held in 2009, said Dalton. “He would not do so.”
“We are heading to court reluctantly, but have no option,” said Dalton. “We would rather be racing.” Dalton continued: “We have to ensure that when the next America’s Cup is held, Emirates Team New Zealand is still in very good shape and ready for the battle on the water. By the time AC Management announced that the 33rd America’s Cup would be delayed, we had put together a comprehensive program for 2008, with ETNZ members competing in a number of European regattas. And we had already done an enormous amount of work on the design of the new 90ft AC class boat. Design work is continuing, although with less urgency,” said Dalton. “ETNZ is fortunate in having the full support of our sponsors, the New Zealand Government, and team members. However the delay does come at a price and it seems prudent for the team to seek financial compensation to cover additional campaign costs and damage to our brand name and reputation and to the event in which we compete, the standing of which affects our ability to raise funds.”
Para más información y recibir novedades de la noticia ir directamente a este link (gracias Toño): http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/emirates-team-new-zealand-to-file-lawsuits-today-against-current,305535.shtml
