Powerful Statements from Mascalzone Latino
by Jake on Mar.27, 2008, under America's Cup
Vincenzo Onorato of the Mascalzone Latino (the previous Italian Team) issued a very powerful letter this morning about the status of the America’s Cup and provides some pretty damning insight to the dealings with Alinghi – I’ve only just now had some time to read it. Alinghi once used the fact that Mascalzone Latino had signed up for the 33rd protocol as evidence that their protocol was fair and just. Vincenzo explains that this is pretty far from the truth because they had only signed up due to word of a 2nd Italian challenge starting up. They wanted to ensure that they were not denied a position in the event by Alinghi if there was another Italian Challenge. Vincenzo also goes into some detail about how their challenge was accepted in consideration of the declaration they had filed with the New York Courts as part of Oracle’s stance. Vincenzo strikes me as one cool, very thoughtful, and sharp dude.
Since the start of this letter, I have given Alinghi credit for the fact that the affair has an underlying sense of comedy, although this is probably unintentional. Following the launch of the challenge, ACM sent us an invoice for fifty thousand euros which we paid immediately. Are we perhaps the only ones to have done so to date? They replied in writing that they would accept our challenge only if we withdrew our declaration filed with the Supreme Court of New York. This is not required by the protocol, but it is clear that Alinghi writes and rewrites the rules to suit its needs. I answered by reminding them that a citizen accepts the laws even if he doesn’t agree with them and that in a democracy there is freedom of speech and criticism. The simple metaphor was not understood. ACM/Alinghi replied by claiming a public abjuration. It would have been pointless to remind them that the last Italian forced to make such a strong retraction was Giordano Bruno, in medieval times under the Holy Inquisition.
