The new events, funded by a $63million sponsorship from Gulf state Qatar and featuring renowned sailor Tracy Edwards, have been heavily criticised by Bruno Peyron - founder and organiser of sailing event The Race and current record holder of The Jules Verne Trophy.
Peyron is also threatening legal action against Edwards and her team for abuse of The Race Tour events brand and related intellectual property rights.
To read the no holes barred comments of Peyron in relation to Edwards' new venture, see the features section of today's sportbusiness.com
The new series of international sailing events based in and around Qatar have been labelled as "thinly disguised copies" of an existing concept in an angry retort to the series' launch last week.
