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SCUTTLEBUTT EXTRA - Friday, January 29, 2010Scuttlebutt is published each weekday with the support of its sponsors, providing a digest of major sailing news, commentary, opinions, features and dock talk . . . with a North American focus.Here are a few important items to supplement Scuttlebutt 3018: AMERICA’S CUP TO PROCEED AS SCHEDULED Justice Kornreich of the New York Supreme Court informed the America's Cup defending yacht club, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), and the challenging Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) on Friday via telephone conference that she will not hear the American challenger's complaint regarding the ‘constructed in country' requirement of the Deed of Gift before the 33rd America's Cup Match which is scheduled to begin on 8 February. The GGYC complaint had submitted two questions before the Court: * In an America’s Cup “Deed of Gift match,” must the sails of competitors’ yachts be constructed in the country they represent? * Were the sails on SNG’s entry, Alinghi 5, constructed in Switzerland? GGYC had contended that sails must be constructed-in-country, and that Alinghi’s sails were constructed in the USA, not Switzerland. With the absence of a court ruling, this means the 33rd America's Cup is free to proceed as ordered by previous New York rulings: in Valencia on the February 8, 10 and 12. What this also means is if Golden Gate Yacht Club’s team, BMW Oracle Racing, wins the 33rd Match, this becomes a non-issue. However, if they lose, the American team must decide whether they return their complaint to the New York Supreme Court. CORY E. FRIEDMAN FUND By Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt I still remember the day. The Swiss had already won the 32nd America’s Cup, but their plans for the next Match had quickly taken us all to the steps of the New York Supreme Court. Following that first court hearing, both the Alinghi team and the BMW Oracle Racing team quickly issued press releases, both claiming victory that day. It was spin control at its best, and if I were to determine the events of that day from only the information provided from each team, I would have been screwed. Thankfully, I had received a note from Cory E. Friedman before that day, and he had offered to attend the hearing, and provide a report for Scuttlebutt. I had never met Cory, and had no idea what he might submit. His first report was on September 7, 2007, and it was brilliant. It cut through all the crapola, breaking down the intricacies of the law and how it related to sailing, while blending in entertaining commentary along the way. Since that first report, Cory has remained wholly committed to this project, and has thus far submitted 54 reports on the subject (over 70,000 words). I can honestly say that without Cory’s help, America’s Cup followers would have not clearly understood what has occurred during the past 2+ years. However, the story is not over yet, and now Cory is going to Valencia, Spain to follow the Match close-up and provide timely updates for 'buttheads around the world. Rather than strong arm the marine industry to help defray expenses for his Valencia reporting, I am reaching out to the people who are eager to receive it, and that have appreciated his past work. Contributions can be submitted at the Scuttlebutt Store, either by PayPal account or credit card. Also, it is important to Cory and I that all contributions are used for expenses only and not for gratuitous compensation, and that any amount in excess of trip costs be donated to SHAKE-A-LEG to support their sailing programs for disabled individuals. Please make your contribution now… the America’s Cup starts on February 8th: www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/store |
