9.15am
By JULIE ASH
Prada head Patrizio Bertelli says it was a team decision to sideline renowned yacht designer Doug Peterson.
In a press conference this morning, Bertelli said Peterson had not been fired from the team but had been demoted from his position as design director.
"It was a unanimous decision and something
we had been thinking about for a long time now," Bertelli said.
"We believe we are strong team, we believe we know what we have to do. When I say it was a unanimous decision I mean it was a decision from the whole team - the sailing team, the design team, everyone together."
He said the team had been thinking about demoting Peterson 'for quite some months' and it was not a reflection on Prada's loss to Oracle BMW Racing on Tuesday's first day of racing for the Louis Vuitton Cup.
"The decision is not related to the performance of the boat. We have only had one race where we lost to Oracle by about 40 seconds. This decision was because of different opinions between the team and Mr Peterson on the boat development."
Bertelli said Peterson was still welcome on the base and was more than welcome to watch the team on the Prada spectator boats.
"Mr Doug Peterson was not fired. We keep enjoying a very normal relationship. He is not involved in the design process anymore."
Peterson was the man behind America's Cup winner America3 in 1992 and Team New Zealand's winning yachts in 1995.
He was with Prada for the 2000 campaign when the Italians won the Louis Vuitton Cup before losing five straight races to Team New Zealand in the America's Cup.
Prada team profile
nzherald.co.nz/americascup
Racing schedule, results and standings
