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Alinghi fined for microphone fault
AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Swiss team Alinghi is to appeal against a $10,000 fine for not having their on-board microphones turned on during a Louis Vuitton Cup race. The team, one of the cup favourites, was fined after day three of racing in round robin one of the four-month competition to determine a challenger for America's Cup holder Team New Zealand. Alinghi said the microphones were turned on, despite a ruling by the cup's international jury that the microphones were switched off from six minutes preceding the race start until seven minutes after the start. Skipper Russell Coutts said: "I think there was some confusion. Some people thought I was wearing the microphone, I wasn't. It was Brad (Butterworth) and Ernesto (Berterelli) who were wearing the microphones (on Saturday) and I was assured they were both turned on." "It was some sort of technical problem. They were on the whole time and they couldn't transmit." He added that the team could not get the microphones to work on Sunday when Alinghi beat Prada. The rules require microphones used to capture the on-board conversations between key members of the crew to be switched on throughout the racing. The jury ruled that Alinghi did breach the rules but considered a fine more appropriate than loss of the point for the match through disqualification. By contesting the fine Coutts is keen to establish that the yachts should not be penalised for a technical problem that has nothing to do with the actual racing of the yachts.
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