French pirates?

America's Cup organisers have voiced concern over the alleged "cowboy attitude" of the second French boat in the prestigious …

America's Cup organisers have voiced concern over the alleged "cowboy attitude" of the second French boat in the prestigious international yachting event. Seven weeks before the start of the qualifying races, organisers are unsure what to do with the second French entry, "Le Defi Sud."

Organisers fear the "Le Defi Sud" team will enter a non-competitive yacht in the series in order to prevent forfeiting the $250,000 deposit necessary to enter the race. The "performance bond" worth $250,000 is freed once competitors have entered the first leg.

As you can imagine, the Admiral's Cup is not for the financially faint-hearted. President of the Association of the Challengers for the America's Cup (ACAC) Dyer Jones wants Defi Sud included - provided they come as "real competitors" otherwise they are not going to get back a cent of their deposit.

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson

Johnny Watterson is a sports writer with The Irish Times