The America’s Cup jury has decided to remove racing areas near Auckland for the 36th edition which begins at the end of December, angering New Zealanders.
The spat is noticeable. And returns to the dark hours of the America’s Cup which saw the holder of the Cup, the Defender, oppose more or less violently, his challengers, including the Challenger of record, their representative. Thus, this Thursday, by means of a press release, the defender Emirates Team New Zealand said he was “scandalized that after three years of planning an event in a ground stadium, the Challenger of Record Luna Rossa led a campaign through the refereeing panel that destroyed one of the America’s Cup event’s most exciting benefits for the people of Auckland and visitors from all over New Zealand. The America’s Cup Arbitration Panel issued an overnight ruling that effectively cancels the use of Inner Harbor Stadium racing areas for all Prada Cup and America’s Cup Match races. This decision has significant and negative repercussions on the accessibility of the event to the Auckland and New Zealand audiences, the safety of the event and the reliability of the race. “
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And the additional comments of Grand Dalton, the boss of the TNZ add a layer on the anger of New Zealanders: “Frankly, we are scandalized by this decision, it went against everything we tried to achieve over the past three years, regardless of the effect this has on New Zealand audiences and the city of Auckland. Emirates Team New Zealand is currently investigating whether there are any options available to
The Cup jury did indeed say that two of the five planned regatta areas could not be used because they were not available for the entire competition, which takes place from the end of December to March. They are located in the Rangitoto Canal, closest to the Auckland city center waterfront and along the beaches of the eastern North Coast, allowing spectators ashore to watch the AC75 monohulls in action. .
“As a defender, we would absolutely move heaven and earth to change that,” Grant Dalton told New Zealand radio Newstalk ZB on Friday.
Less than two months before the official launch of the 36e edition, relations are therefore severely strained between the New Zealand and Italian clans, supported on this occasion by two other challengers INEOS Team UK and American Magic. This may augur for a troubled edition on the procedural level for this Cup, which will be contested on new totally innovative monohulls. At the beginning of September, the Kiwi organizers confirmed its maintenance in 2021 despite the context of Covid-19 “because it is one of the sporting events approved by the New Zealand government which should take place in the country in 2021”. The oldest competition in the world will kick off on December 17, 2020 with the America’s Cup World Series Auckland & the Christmas Race “a four-day regatta that will see all teams compete for the first time in their AC75 racing boats”. The Prada Cup Challengers Selection Series will follow, starting in mid-January 2021. The America’s Cup Match will start on March 6 between Defender Emirates Team New Zealand and the winner of the Prada Cup final.
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