America's Cup could head south
MADRID (AFP) — The US syndicate Oracle could challenge Swiss champion Alinghi for the America's Cup at a southern hemisphere venue during the next winter season, the Americans said on Saturday.
That, however, would be conditional on the two resolving their long-running wrangle over when their court-ordered, multihull duel for the trophy should be held.
Alinghi has offered to race Oracle in July 2009 for the 33rd America's Cup, but the US team is insisting on October 2008, the Swiss syndicate said Friday.
"We stand by this date (October, 2008)," Oracle spokesman Tom Ehman told AFP ahead of a clear-the-air meeting between the two sides next week in either Geneva or the Spanish city of Valencia.
"However, if for some reason an agreement is reached for January, 2009, Oracle does not exclude racing in the southern hemisphere," he added.
The Deed of Gift that governs America's Cup racing stipulates that any regatta scheduled between November 1 and April 31 be held in southern hemisphere waters.
If that was the case, it would be up to Alinghi to decide on the venue.
If no agreement is reached at their meeting next week, the matter will return to the New York court which made the ruling for the multihull race to go ahead.
In November the organizers indefinitely postponed the 33rd edition of the America's Cup, the world's longest-running sports competition, because of the uncertainty raised by Oracle's legal challenge.
It had been set to take place in the Spanish port of Valencia in July 2009 as a traditional regatta involving several teams.
Alinghi retained the America's Cup by beating Team New Zealand in a hugely successful event in Valencia in July.
