MADRID (AFP) — Official and potential challengers for the 33rd America's Cup will meet Wednesday in Valencia to try to iron out a legal dispute that is threatening the next edition of the event set for 2009.
It will be an "informal meeting" aimed at ending a conflict over the new rules for the yachting race that has pit defending champion Alinghi against US syndicate Oracle, a source close to the talks told AFP.
The five competitors who have entered the race for the next America's Cup -- new British group Team Origin, South Africa's Shosholoza, Team Germany, Desafio Espanol and Team New Zealand -- as well as potential challengers Oracle and Mascalzone Latino will take part, the source said.
A spokesman for Desafio, the challenger of record, refused to confirm or deny if the meeting was to take place.
Oracle took legal action in the United States against Alinghi in July over new rules adopted by Alinghi for the 33rd America's Cup which they say are unfairly weighed in the defender's favour such as the right to bar teams from the race.
If they do not settle out of court, the case will be heard in a New York court on October 22.
America's Cup Management, the event's organizing body, said Wednesday that the lawsuit had compromised its ability to stage the event and it was mulling all options, including the possibility of postponing the event to a later date.
The director of America's Cup Management, Michel Hodara, has said that the main stumbling block is the proposed new rule requiring competitors to build a 90-foot boat whose design specifications are so far known only to Alinghi.
Oracle believes Alinghi's work on the new bout is already in the advanced stage, giving it an unfair advantage, Hodara said earlier this week.
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