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Penalty harsh, says OneWorld
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (CNN) -- OneWorld has described a one-point Louis Vuitton semifinal penalty imposed for breaking race rules as "extremely harsh." The Seattle-based syndicate will also lose a point if it makes the final and has to pay costs to the panel of $65,000. It was accused by Italian team Prada and New York-based Team Dennis Conner of using designs belonging to America's Cup holder Team New Zealand. Reacting to Monday's decision by a five-man arbitration panel, OneWorld spokesman Bob Ratliffe said the penalty was an "extremely harsh judgment" considering that it came from the team's own voluntary admission of holding old computer files on Team New Zealand designs from 2000. "This is a stunning indictment of honesty to be penalised for telling the truth," he added. "Substantially all of the evidence that was brought before the America's Cup Arbitration Panel was admissions by OneWorld, not the petitioners. "We were gentlemen, above board and forthright. The worst that should be said of us ... is that we have a designer who told us of an old backup disc and a seven-year-old computer in his garage that he never used and OneWorld never knew he had." Charles A. Dana III, commodore of the New York Yacht Club, home to Team Dennis Conner, said the syndicate took "no pleasure" in the verdict. He said information that his team and Prada submitted to the panel went beyond the earlier admissions of guilt made by OneWorld. "Both clubs believe that the rules requiring each team to develop its own design data are fundamental to the America's Cup competition. It is important that all future teams have a clear understanding of these rules and the consequences of any violation of the rules," added Dana. Dennis Conner, a veteran of nine America's Cup campaigns, felt that there were some substantial breaches of the race rules. "I respect the decision of the panel because I know they tried hard to do the right thing, but I can't help but be a little disappointed because I felt that the findings should have been different. "I'm just an old dinosaur. I remember when you broke the rules you got thrown out. Maybe it's a time for me to stop because I'm still living in the old days." OneWorld is racing against Prada in the semifinal of the Louis Vuitton Cup. Monday's racing was postponed. The winner of the Cup will sail against Team New Zealand for the America's Cup next year.
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