By HELEN TUNNAH
When OneWorld Challenge found two folders of Prada design secrets on their base, they swiftly returned them to their rightful owner. But not before copying all the material, meaning they held Prada's confidential mast and sail plans for two years.
The copies were shredded only after the America's Cup
Arbitration Panel in August ruled OneWorld had broken the regatta's rules by possessing design information belonging to other teams.
The Seattle syndicate, which was this week punished again for the offence by having points deducted, has strenuously denied using any of the design secrets but their rivals remain sceptical. OneWorld also had material from Team New Zealand's 2000 generation boats and has admitted recreating some mast fittings by drawing on the memories of former Team New Zealand crew.
Our Weekend Herald graphic outlines what features from other designs OneWorld could have used to build their boat, had they chosen to do so, from the design data they have admitted holding. The drawing includes little of the material their former operations manager Sean Reeves says they had because that is disputed.
The admissions of the available information are contained in OneWorld affidavits and submissions to the panel over the past year, and in the transcripts of evidence given by their designers to a special, semi-closed, hearing of the panel last weekend. Not all the documentation has been made public.
OneWorld, which previously argued that simply possessing another team's secrets did not break the rules, asserts the information is of no consequence. Team New Zealand and Prada, the best teams from the last Cup, disagree.
The two grey folders found on OneWorld's base were apparently taken there by New Zealander Mike Spanhake, a former sail designer at Prada hired by OneWorld after the last Cup. He left after a few months because of ill-health and, according to OneWorld, a secretary later found the two folders in an office.
Prada says the folders detailed extensive sail and mast design information belonging to them, not Spanhake, and contained sufficient details to know their complete sail inventory. The plans also included drawings of spreader end fittings while outlining mast material specifications and safe working loads for backstays.
OneWorld says no one, including Spanhake, ever looked at them or used them in their design process.
OneWorld has also broken Cup rules by possessing measurement certificates, carbon fibre certificate materials, a deck layout plan and tank-testing photographs of Team New Zealand's 2000 generation boats and a computer disk containing structural and design information.
OneWorld designer Ian Mitchell says the deck layout plan was schematic only; Team New Zealand designers say no schematic plan existed. All the plans were detailed and contained dimensional and structural data.
They say the material OneWorld had would enable them to work out the relative positioning of the keel, rudder and mast, the boat's rated length, winch positioning and even backup procedures in case of gear failure.
nzherald.co.nz/americascup
Racing schedule, results and standings
By HELEN TUNNAH
When OneWorld Challenge found two folders of Prada design secrets on their base, they swiftly returned them to their rightful owner. But not before copying all the material, meaning they held Prada's confidential mast and sail plans for two years.
The copies were shredded only after the America's Cup
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