Rob_Webb
Active member
Same old Americas Cup dirty tricks. The only difference being this time it's the European holders rather than the yanks!
From the NZ media in Valencia:
There's a strong rumour doing the rounds in Valencia: If Alinghi win the 32nd America's Cup, skipper Brad Butterworth will not be allowed to accept it. Syndicate boss Ernesto Bertarelli will.
With a question mark over Butterworth's continued employment with Alinghi after this regatta, the rumours say that Bertarelli has opted to reduce the spotlight on Butterworth, with the future in mind.
We may have to wait to see if Alinghi wins and if any of this happens - but this is just one of the examples of how Alinghi have taken their public relations and communications strategy to a new level in what is shaping up to be one of the most heavily propagandised Cups in history.
Some of the posturing, micro-management and spin being imparted by Alinghi is unparalleled, even for the America's Cup.
Latest example: The Losers' Press Conference.
This one was nipped in the bud but the Swiss had to get organised ahead of Monday's postponed race seven in case Alinghi won and the Cup presentation was held.
They planned to hold two press conferences simultaneously after the winning race.
At one, Alinghi would attend a winner's press conference.
At the other, Team NZ would attend the losers' press conference. Not only does this fly in the face of aeons of America's Cup tradition - the two teams are always at the end of the match to shake hands after a long battle.
It also reveals a mindset increasingly obvious to journalists covering the Cup but which is far less discernible by the real targets - the readers and viewers at the end of the line.
Who in their right mind would attend a loser's press conference? Who in their right mind would propose holding one at the same time as a winner's press conference?
It was an obvious ploy to focus most of the world's media attention on Alinghi and to keep Team NZ squarely out of frame. Team NZ were not consulted about these plans and found out second-hand.
If the press conference had gone ahead and Team NZ failed to win the Cup, they would not have attended anyway.
The common factor in all this is Kiwis.
Not just the Kiwis in Team NZ but even the Kiwis in the Alinghi camp. At times in Port America's Cup, anything New Zealand, it seems, is a rival with a capital R and needs to be carefully controlled.
There's nothing overt or bitter or rude about the atmosphere at the Port - it's just that Alinghi do not want the Kiwis' America's Cup expertise to overshadow them and have put together an under-the-counter PR strategy to deal with it.
That strategy has gone too far, over the top.
Like the Losers' Press Conference.
The other key element is that, for the first time in many years, sponsor Louis Vuitton is not in charge of communicating the America's Cup to the world.
Instead of Louis Vuitton and the affable Bruno Trouble running the media centre and working with the world's media, Ernesto Bertarelli set up a company called America's Cup Management (ACM) to do it instead.
Some of ACM's media management has been, shall we say, direct, particularly with the electronic media.
Those TV pictures you have been watching through this thrilling regatta come from America's Cup TV, the host broadcaster, operated by ACM.
TVNZ use Peter Montgomery, John McBeth and James Spithill as commentators over those pictures.
But many millions of people around the world listen to the commentary provided by America's Cup TV commentators - Kiwis Martin Tasker and yachting commentator Peter Lester, in coverage produced by Leon Sefton, son of Alan Sefton, a communications man from previous New Zealand America's Cup campaigns.
All that you are about to read was not told me by Tasker, Lester nor Sefton.
But it is common knowledge among the media ranks here. ACTV didn't want Kiwis originally - there's that thing again - and tried to hire other broadcasters before realising that New Zealand has actually managed to put together the world's best coverage of America's Cup sailing through the last two regattas.
It's the same in rugby, where New Zealand's television coverage of the game is the world's best. But, from day one, the ACM/ACTV controlling hand fell heavily on the shoulder.
Tasker and Lester - who also writes for the Herald and nzherald.co.nz - have been taken to task on a regular basis for being too biased in favour of Team New Zealand. On day one, the complaints started.
Too much Team NZ.
For anyone who heard the ACTV commentaries (they are beamed into the media centre here), this was a ridiculous call.
Tasker and Lester are professionals, and good ones.
If there was any bias in their work, I couldn't pick it.
On the second day, Tasker and Lester tried to correct matters in the second race.
Then they received complaints from various Kiwis that they were leaning too far towards Alinghi. But unless this sounds too much like "a TV commentator can never keep everyone happy", story there is a darker side to this.
Tasker and Lester have been placed pretty much on threat of dismissal if they don't removed the alleged bias (which no-one else can hear) from their commentaries.
Still dissatisfied, ACTV brought in Ian Burns, an Australian designer who has been linked with Alinghi's next America's Cup campaign - to provide balance.
In one commentary, Lester was heard talking about Ed Baird and how Brad Butterworth had said Baird was one of only five men who could sail an America's Cup yacht at the top level.
Lester set about naming the other four.
One was Russell Coutts. The next day, knuckles were rapped.
We do not talk about Russell Coutts on ACTV, apparently.
Not since he left Alinghi.
Then came the day of the infamous protest and the sight of a man up Alinghi's mast quickening thoughts that the defender might have breached class rules.
The Team NZ protest was dismissed but suspicions remain. When the incident occurred, the ACTV boat which follows closely behind filming was told to drop back.
Later, ACTV were cutting a highlights package for broadcast around the world. Orders from the top arrived.
A large chunk of the mast sequence in the package was pruned, leaving a package which made Alinghi appear to be not quite so seriously in question. Welcome to the America's Cup.
But remember, the pictures you have been watching - and ACTV's commentary if you happen to be hearing that - come to you freshly approved.
By Alinghi.
From the NZ media in Valencia:
There's a strong rumour doing the rounds in Valencia: If Alinghi win the 32nd America's Cup, skipper Brad Butterworth will not be allowed to accept it. Syndicate boss Ernesto Bertarelli will.
With a question mark over Butterworth's continued employment with Alinghi after this regatta, the rumours say that Bertarelli has opted to reduce the spotlight on Butterworth, with the future in mind.
We may have to wait to see if Alinghi wins and if any of this happens - but this is just one of the examples of how Alinghi have taken their public relations and communications strategy to a new level in what is shaping up to be one of the most heavily propagandised Cups in history.
Some of the posturing, micro-management and spin being imparted by Alinghi is unparalleled, even for the America's Cup.
Latest example: The Losers' Press Conference.
This one was nipped in the bud but the Swiss had to get organised ahead of Monday's postponed race seven in case Alinghi won and the Cup presentation was held.
They planned to hold two press conferences simultaneously after the winning race.
At one, Alinghi would attend a winner's press conference.
At the other, Team NZ would attend the losers' press conference. Not only does this fly in the face of aeons of America's Cup tradition - the two teams are always at the end of the match to shake hands after a long battle.
It also reveals a mindset increasingly obvious to journalists covering the Cup but which is far less discernible by the real targets - the readers and viewers at the end of the line.
Who in their right mind would attend a loser's press conference? Who in their right mind would propose holding one at the same time as a winner's press conference?
It was an obvious ploy to focus most of the world's media attention on Alinghi and to keep Team NZ squarely out of frame. Team NZ were not consulted about these plans and found out second-hand.
If the press conference had gone ahead and Team NZ failed to win the Cup, they would not have attended anyway.
The common factor in all this is Kiwis.
Not just the Kiwis in Team NZ but even the Kiwis in the Alinghi camp. At times in Port America's Cup, anything New Zealand, it seems, is a rival with a capital R and needs to be carefully controlled.
There's nothing overt or bitter or rude about the atmosphere at the Port - it's just that Alinghi do not want the Kiwis' America's Cup expertise to overshadow them and have put together an under-the-counter PR strategy to deal with it.
That strategy has gone too far, over the top.
Like the Losers' Press Conference.
The other key element is that, for the first time in many years, sponsor Louis Vuitton is not in charge of communicating the America's Cup to the world.
Instead of Louis Vuitton and the affable Bruno Trouble running the media centre and working with the world's media, Ernesto Bertarelli set up a company called America's Cup Management (ACM) to do it instead.
Some of ACM's media management has been, shall we say, direct, particularly with the electronic media.
Those TV pictures you have been watching through this thrilling regatta come from America's Cup TV, the host broadcaster, operated by ACM.
TVNZ use Peter Montgomery, John McBeth and James Spithill as commentators over those pictures.
But many millions of people around the world listen to the commentary provided by America's Cup TV commentators - Kiwis Martin Tasker and yachting commentator Peter Lester, in coverage produced by Leon Sefton, son of Alan Sefton, a communications man from previous New Zealand America's Cup campaigns.
All that you are about to read was not told me by Tasker, Lester nor Sefton.
But it is common knowledge among the media ranks here. ACTV didn't want Kiwis originally - there's that thing again - and tried to hire other broadcasters before realising that New Zealand has actually managed to put together the world's best coverage of America's Cup sailing through the last two regattas.
It's the same in rugby, where New Zealand's television coverage of the game is the world's best. But, from day one, the ACM/ACTV controlling hand fell heavily on the shoulder.
Tasker and Lester - who also writes for the Herald and nzherald.co.nz - have been taken to task on a regular basis for being too biased in favour of Team New Zealand. On day one, the complaints started.
Too much Team NZ.
For anyone who heard the ACTV commentaries (they are beamed into the media centre here), this was a ridiculous call.
Tasker and Lester are professionals, and good ones.
If there was any bias in their work, I couldn't pick it.
On the second day, Tasker and Lester tried to correct matters in the second race.
Then they received complaints from various Kiwis that they were leaning too far towards Alinghi. But unless this sounds too much like "a TV commentator can never keep everyone happy", story there is a darker side to this.
Tasker and Lester have been placed pretty much on threat of dismissal if they don't removed the alleged bias (which no-one else can hear) from their commentaries.
Still dissatisfied, ACTV brought in Ian Burns, an Australian designer who has been linked with Alinghi's next America's Cup campaign - to provide balance.
In one commentary, Lester was heard talking about Ed Baird and how Brad Butterworth had said Baird was one of only five men who could sail an America's Cup yacht at the top level.
Lester set about naming the other four.
One was Russell Coutts. The next day, knuckles were rapped.
We do not talk about Russell Coutts on ACTV, apparently.
Not since he left Alinghi.
Then came the day of the infamous protest and the sight of a man up Alinghi's mast quickening thoughts that the defender might have breached class rules.
The Team NZ protest was dismissed but suspicions remain. When the incident occurred, the ACTV boat which follows closely behind filming was told to drop back.
Later, ACTV were cutting a highlights package for broadcast around the world. Orders from the top arrived.
A large chunk of the mast sequence in the package was pruned, leaving a package which made Alinghi appear to be not quite so seriously in question. Welcome to the America's Cup.
But remember, the pictures you have been watching - and ACTV's commentary if you happen to be hearing that - come to you freshly approved.
By Alinghi.
