Fighting the Bill Gates Syndrome?

Now that we are reaching 40% of racing days being cancelled due to wind conditions (15 of 39), and the third straight day of delays in the 1/4 final repêchage, our boredom is making us look at other news.

Dennis Conner and Prada are launching on-land attacks on oneWorld. Craig McCaw pulled out one of his friend Bill Gates' cardinal business rules: take over what the competition does. The team has already been penalized for possessing information from other syndicates (namely TNZ and Prada).

But oneWorld's opponents want more blood. oneWorld had stated it did not use the information obtained for design purposes; the arbitration panel bought the argument. How ingenuous! One does not replicate what already exists as one does not have the experience with the design and cannot be as competitive. In the design process of an ACC boat you aim to build something better, actually implementing the information gained is a losing strategy. Not the stuff Gates or McCaw are made of.

oneWorld's tactical approach is clearly questionable. But what penalty should be applied? Total exclusion from the competition at this stage seems highly improbable. From a moral standpoint, at best, those who are complaining today should have kept the heat on from the start of the competition.

This episode is simply a telling sign: we have now officially entered into the psychological wars season of the America's Cup season.