America's Cup legal row drags on
MADRID (AFP) — The legal battle over the rules of the 33rd America's Cup was extended into January on Friday.
A New York court, which last month ruled in favour of US syndicat Oracle in its case against Swiss defender Alinghi, will hold a session on January 14 to finalise the text of its ruling, the two teams said.
While the court will not alter its ruling that Alinghi should declare Oracle as its Challenger of Record which helps set the rules for the next edition of the yacht race, it may set the date for the 33rd America's Cup.
The event had been scheduled for 2009 in Valenica, Spain but organizers last month postponed it indefinitely because of the legal row between Oracle and Alinghi.
The dispute was triggered by Alinghi's naming of Spanish team Desafio Espanol as the official 'Challenger of Record' and a controversial reworking of some of the rules.
Oracle claimed Alinghi was giving itself an unfair advantage and took their case to court with a New York judge ruling in their favour last month.
The US syndicate has proposed that the race be held next year while the Swiss team wants it to be held in July 2009 as originally planned.
A spokeswoman for Alinghi told AFP that the Swiss team was awaiting the court session in January and continued to study "all its options".
Alinghi, which recently changed its New York legal team, will not appeal last month's court decision as had been reported by some Spanish media, she added.
Oracle as well as several other challengers have urged Alinghi to reach a decision quickly on the timing of the next America's Cup.
Most observers believe the event will be staged as one-on-one catamaran race in 2008 with a more conventional regatta involving a full set of challengers held only in 2011.
