| | AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- U.S. skippers on Thursday
slammed Nippon Challenge skipper Peter Gilmour for training with
the America's Cup defenders Team New Zealand, saying the
Japanese team betrayed the other challengers.
"Maybe he thinks he's not going to the America's Cup, and
he wants to get a picture of the Japanese boat sailing against
New Zealand," said Dennis Conner, skipper of Stars & Stripes
team.
The 11 America's Cup challengers from seven nations had made
an informal, unwritten agreement not to sail against defenders
Team New Zealand before the actual start of Cup races on
Feb. 19. The Nippon Challenge broke ranks on Wednesday and
spent the afternoon training with Team New Zealand.
Paul Cayard, skipper of San Francisco-based AmericaOne, said the move was a betrayal because it gave Team New Zealand a benchmark.
"Like Peter says, someone always does, (sail against the
defender) I'm surprised it came so early, and I'm surprised it
was Peter Gilmour," he said.
"Now they've (Team New Zealand) got a benchmark," he said.
"And they'll watch what happens in the semifinals, they've been
watching us all along, they've just got a better measuring stick
now."
Gilmour defended the move.
"I think it is a positive thing for us to be doing, and I
do understand and appreciate that others see it a different way,
and that is their perspective," he said.
Eleven challengers started the Louis Vuitton Cup in October.
Six remain in the competition, and will start the semifinals on
Jan. 2 to determine two finalists, who will then race for the right to race Team New Zealand in the
America's Cup finals.
| |
ALSO SEE
Nippon breaks agreement, sails against Kiwis
Third-round schedule and results
How the competition works
 |
