Oct. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Not since SAP AG founder Hasso Plattner dropped his pants in front of Larry Ellison's support vessel in a 1996 yacht race have tensions between the rival software makers been so high.

Plattner showed his backside after the boat for Oracle Corp. Chief Executive Officer Ellison refused to aid an injured crewmate on Plattner's crippled yacht, Plattner said in a March 2003 issue of Sailing World magazine. ``Until then I tried to have a normal relationship'' with Ellison, Plattner said.