AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- San Francisco's Oracle racing team took a step toward the final of the America's Cup challenger series this week, then found itself facing accusations it broke Cup protocol.

Oracle might have obtained prohibited construction drawings and plans when it bought yachts belonging to the defunct San Francisco team AmericaOne after the 2000 Cup regatta, according to documents delivered anonymously to The Associated Press.

The America's Cup protocol allows current challengers to buy yachts used by 2000 challenge syndicates and to use those yachts for the establishment and development of later campaigns.

However, the protocol prohibits teams from acquiring plans, specifications or other design information, including performance data, on those yachts even though they own the boats.

Oracle beat OneWorld by 4:08 in the first race of the best-of-seven repechage semifinals Friday, then edged the Seattle-based OneWorld by three seconds Saturday. OneWorld took a one-point penalty into the series after admitting to the American's Cup arbitration panel that it had inadvertently obtained rivals' design information.

The arbitration panel said Saturday it cannot consider alleged protocol breaches until an application is made by a competing syndicate for a rules interpretation. Panel officials also would not comment on any possible penalty because they have not officially received the material.

OneWorld indicated Saturday it may draw the matter to the panel's attention. Spokesman Bob Ratliffe said his syndicate had obtained copies of the documents suggesting a protocol breach by Oracle and given them to its lawyers.

"We have asked Oracle to let us know what the story is, to come clean if you like, which we believe is right thing to do,'' Ratliffe said.

"We think that's the proper way to handle it, to ask Oracle to come forward on their own behalf and explain what happened, whether they have these plans or not.''

Oracle rules adviser Tom Ehman, who had the same job with AmericaOne, was upset about the allegations and insisted they were untrue. He said he was unable to comment further until he had seen the documents.

"It's insulting to ourselves, insulting to the event and insulting to the integrity of the people who have been drawn into it,'' Ehman said.