By Alex Trickett BBC Sport Online

GBR Challenge sailor Greg Searle has told BBC Sport Online that his team are steering clear of scandal as they step up their preparations for the America's Cup.

Sailing's premier event begins on 1 October in the waters off Auckland and has already kicked up a storm of controversy.

Defending champions Team New Zealand and American challenger OneWorld are in dispute over allegedly stolen designs.

But Searle confirmed that Britain's first America's Cup team for 15 years were doing their best to stay out of trouble and were closely guarding any strategic secrets.

"We've tried to stay as clean as possible really and to just stay out of it. We skirt our boats whenever they are out of water.

"I think teams are fairly furiously guarding their privacy, although we've had people come out to take pictures and try to observe us.

"But it's quite black and white what's allowed and what's not. And they are allowed to come and take pictures of us as long as they are 200 metres away."

Prying eyes apart, GBR Challenge's preparation continues apace.

"We're incredible busy at the moment with only seven weeks to go," Searle said.

"We don't have enough people to have designated sailors and then designated shore crew so it's all hands to the pump.

"I guess it's striking me now what an important project management event the America's Cup is - rather than just a sporting event," said the former Olympic rowing champion.

"There's a vast amount more control that a rower has over his destiny than a sailor does over his because a sailing boat is much more complicated."