Prada maintains challenge to rules

AmericaOne might escape any attempt by Prada to trip it in the protest room when the Arbitration Panel of the Americas Cup rules on a complaint the Italians laid about Dennis Connor's Stars and Stripes.

Although Conner's boat is out of the Louis Vuitton Cup, Prada is still seeking to have the challenge declared invalid because Stars and Stripes broke the rules during racing.

An illegal rudder was used on Stars and Stripes in breach of the Protocol, the rules regulating the challenger series and next month's Americas Cup.

That breach left Stars and Stripes unable to sign a declaration that they had abided by the Protocol at all times during the challenge, a mandatory requirement for any team which eventually races Team New Zealand for the Americas Cup.

The Arbitration Panel has called for submissions from all the challengers after Prada refused to withdraw their complaint.

But now the legal fight might backfire on the Italian camp who are refusing to say why they are not also acting against fellow challenger finalists AmericaOne, who have also broken the Protocol.

Prada and AmericaOne are due for a showdown when the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series finals start on January 25th, with the rules decision due before then.