After considering various options, talks over the past two days between Alinghi, the Defender of the Americas Cup, Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEV), the Challenger of Record, and the rest of the challengers have resulted in a firm commitment for the Challenger Selection Series and the 33rd Americas Cup Match to take place in 2010 in the new class of boat currently under development by the group and due to be made public on January 31st.

The group also decided that the two pre-regattas scheduled for 2009 are to be compulsory for all entered teams, regardless of the expected court decision in New York.

The Defender informed the group that negotiations with the Spanish authorities to confirm Valencia as host city are well advanced and should progress further at an upcoming meeting with the central government in Madrid.

Grant Simmer, Alinghi design team coordinator, commented: "The general comment among the teams is that we are progressing well in the working process towards defining the terms and rules for a multi-challenger 33rd America’s Cup. We all think that we should agree as many details as we can on the event in 2010 and on the pre-regattas for 2009 and try to reduce the number of uncertainties. If the existing court decision which ruled CNEV valid is confirmed by the Court of Appeals, the plans are in place and we can quickly move forward."

The event is still cloaked in the uncertainty caused by the ongoing litigation in New York between Golden Gate Yacht Club and BMW Oracle Racing, but the entered teams have once again demonstrated their will to continue with ongoing preparations.

The next round of 33rd Americas Cup Competitor Meetings is set to take place in Valencia in March.

The teams present at the meetings were: Alinghi (SUI), Desafío Español (ESP), Shosholoza (RSA), Team Origin (GBR), Team New Zealand (NZL), DCYC (GER), Green Comm Challenge (ITA), Ayre Challenge (ESP), Victory Challenge (SWE), Argo Challenge (ITA), Mascalzone Latino (ITA), Team French Spirit (FRA), Luna Rossa (ITA), Russian Challenge (RUS), Italia (ITA), K-Challenge (FRA), Greek Challenge (GRE) and Dabliu Sail Project (ITA).

February court date to resolve Americas Cup issues
By: valencialife.net
Monday, December 29, 2008

The Christmas and New Year Period is always considered an era of peace and goodwill but amongst the Americas Cup fraternity, this alternates between frosty - the New York district of Albany where the Appeals Court is considering the latest twist in the case between Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing was shut down due to a power outage caused by the recent ice storms - and jubilant - the expectations over the Louis Vuitton Pacific Regatta that is set for February in New Zealand with both syndicates agreeing to participate.

Despite this, some considerable questions still remain over the fate of the Americas Cup, including where or when the next regatta will be held.

Equally, there is nothing in the Deed of Gift that states that the Defender of Record has the right to organise challengers, with one insider stating that it simply will not be possible for all the nineteen challengers to be able to make it to Valencia or anywhere else, with some of them being not much more that a computer-designed logo and letterhead.

Judicially, the lawyers for both sides will be given 30 minutes each to present their arguments next February 10th, with the judges then taking their time to hand down a decision that may take as long as three months - some believe that the judges may even return the case to Judge Herman Cahn.

Meanwhile observers are waiting to see whether Alinghi comes out with UBS blazoned on its sails in New Zealand as rumours are rife that the Swiss bank has pulled out of sponsoring Mr Bertarelli and UBS is already in a tenuous position.

One thing does appear certain: the Americas Cup will never be the same again after all these court cases, claims, counter-claims and dubious syndicates.

Meanwhile, sitting on the sidelines almost powerless to do anything are the sponsors, and those responsible for the Valencian Community and Rita Barbera,the mayoress of the city that staged the Cup Races with such success in 2007.

Americas Cup participants confirmed
By: valencialife.net
Friday, December 19, 2008

Americas Cup Management revealed last night that a total of nineteen teams from twelve countries have entered for the 33rd Americas Cup, and this includes eight new entries and all of the teams that participated in the previous edition bar one.

Three other teams were denied entry as no further documentation had been received by the deadline that was set for last Monday and one syndicate - Carbon Challenge - has withdrawn.

Under the current schedule, there are to be two pre-regattas in Valencia next year - one in July and the other in October - the CNEV Regatta in November and the Americas Cup match in 2010.

The full list of entered teams is:

Alinghi, Société Nautique de Genève (SUI) – Defender
The Spanish Challenge Club Náutico Español de Vela (ESP) – Challenger of Record
Shosholoza, Royal Cape Yacht Club (RSA)
Team Origin, Royal Thames Yacht Club (GBR)
Team New Zealand, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron (NZL)
DCYC, Deutscher Challenger Yacht Club (GER)
Green Comm Challenge, Circolo di Vela Gargano (ITA)
Ayre Challenge, Real Club Náutico de Dénia (ESP)
Victory Challenge, Gamla Stans Yacht Skallskap (SWE)
Argo Challenge, Club Nautico Gaeta (ITA)
Mascalzone Latino, Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia (ITA)
Team French Spirit, Yacht Club de St Tropez (FRA)
Luna Rossa, Yacht Club Punta Ala (ITA)
Russia Team - Fiona, Yacht Club Seven Feet (RUS)
Joe Fly, Società Canottieri Lecco (ITA)
K-Challenge, Cercle de la Voile de Paris (FRA)
Greek Challenge, N.O.K. Poseidon - Nautical Club of Kalamata (GRC)
Dabliu Sail Project (ITA)
China Team, Qingdao International Yacht Club (CHN)

Yacht race organisers meet to discuss Americas Cup future
By: valencialife.net
Friday, December 12, 2008

The World Yacht Racing Forum in Monaco was the setting for a debate on the Americas Cup, with both Tom Ehman of the Golden Gate Yacht Club/BMR Oracle Racing, and Brad Butterworth of SNG/Alinghi both trying to persuade the audience that their point of view was the right way to go for the future of the Cup.

A later debate featuring Mr Ehman, Sir Keith Mills, Stephane Kandler, Mr Butterworth, Paul Cayard, Peter Montgomery and lawyer Alessandra Pandarese brought no immediate solutions to the problems over the future of the Cup, but several interesting proposals were made.

Also at the top of the agenda was the current economic situation and how it would force everyone to reduce costs, with Knut Frostad, the head of the Volvo Ocean Race enthusing wildly about the meeting - the first of its kind for major racers and organizers.

The Race Calendar was another subject for discussion and a clear lack of communications between event organizers was also raised with Christophe Baudry, the head of Communiations for the Vendee Globe race stating that it was nonsense that the Vendee and the Volvo Ocean Race take place at the same time, and that future discussions should in principle prevent this happening in the future.