KEY POINTS:
An Australian photographer has given a dramatic account of how an Alinghi team member brandished a knife and made a throat-slitting gesture at a Team New Zealand team member.
The shocked photographer told how the Alinghi support man flashed the 10cm long blade, which looked "razor sharp" as
it glinted in the sun.
The Alinghi team member, whose identity is not known, was part of the support crew on the small boats that are used to haul the yachts along the canal that leads to the Cup race course. The boat had come to meet Alinghi after the sixth race - in which Alinghi went ahead by 4-2 - to take it back to its Port America's Cup berth.
On a nearby press boat, Team NZ photographer Chris Cameron was part of a small group of cameramen who had been photographing the race. Also on board was Rob Griffith, a photographer for Associated Press.
"We were just a bit forward of their [Alinghi's] bow and we were taking pictures looking backwards at them," said Griffith. "We'd come in quite quickly to get ahead of all the spectator craft.
"I was standing with Chris when I heard his name being called. There was a skinnyish guy standing on the back of the Alinghi towboat. He had a knife, with a blade about 4 inches long.
"It was one of those pocket knives where the blade folds away and with a large circle at the base so you can stick your thumb in and flick it open. It was a serrated edge thing and it looked razor sharp - I'd say they use it for cutting through ropes in a hurry or something like that.
"Anyway, he flicked it open and closed a few times after he'd yelled out Chris' name and, after the third time, looking at Chris he raised it to his throat and made the throat-cutting gesture. He then pointed at Chris."
The intent was clear, said Griffith.
The threat was definitely aimed at Cameron, who took some of the pictures on which Team New Zealand based their protest when Alinghi were suspected of sending a man up the mast to lower their mainsail - a potential breach of the rules which could, in theory, have cost Alinghi the race or provoked a re-sail.
The protest, which was dismissed, angered Alinghi.
Team New Zealand would not comment on the knife incident yesterday. However, it is reasonable to expect some sort of official action, even if it is just a legal letter. It is not expected to have any effect on the America's Cup match - other than controversy arising when the match is at its peak.
While it was an unfriendly action, there is no suggestion the man with the knife in the Alinghi "towboat" intended to do anything more than make gestures. However, in many countries, using a weapon in a threatening manner even if there is no intention to actually use it, is a criminal offence.