Spain’s Green Comm Racing pulls out of 34th America’s Cup – Sailing News
Spanish sailing team, Green Comm Racing, which was one of the top contenders to claim the upcoming 34th America’s Cup, has pulled out of the event. The team was quite ambitious to get into the regatta and claim the overall victory but it seems
that they had some issues with their sponsors, Circolo de Vela Gargnano, regarding their agreement.
Before coming to the regatta, the team was very sure of participating in the competition, according to a spokesman for the team. He said that the team had the necessary funding to continue sailing in the 2012 America's Cup World Series but due to some problems
between the team officials and sponsors they are pulling out.
A leading European website vsail.info stated that in December, 2011, the Green Comm made a collaboration agreement with Italy’s Regional Government of Lombardy and the Circolo de Vela Gargnano which secured the required funding of the team for their participation
in the 2012 events and in the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2013.
The website stated, “The Real Club Náutico de Valencia has been watching the development of this agreement, vital for the continuation of the campaign in 2012.”
The site further said, “Unfortunately, these expectations have not been fulfilled and given the enormous difficulty in securing other sponsorship that would allow to keep a challenge with the required rigor and dignity and given the current economic climate,
on April the fifth the Real Club Náutico de Valencia informed Golden Gate Yacht Club that it relinquished the challenge presented in February of 2011, resignation that was accepted on April 10th, 2012.”
Meanwhile, Manuel Pons, the President of Real Club Nautico de Valencia, sent a note to the Int Jury which said that the club was not aware of the award of damages against their team which became the cause of the issue.
Green Comm Racing’s unavailability in the regatta will definitely end the hopes of many Spanish sailing fans as the team was one of the favourites to hit the jackpot at the AC Word Series. With the withdrawal of Green Comm Racing, America's Cup World Series
teams have been reduced to eight.
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