Oracle confident ahead of America's Cup court ruling

US syndicate Oracle on Monday voiced confidence a New York court will back its America's Cup suit against Swiss champion Alinghi, and leave the way open for a catamaran duel to decide the next edition of the event.

Oracle filed a lawsuit in a New York court last summer accusing Alinghi of adopting rules which were unfairly weighted in the Swiss defender's favour, and in November the judge ruled in favour of the US team.

The court had been expected to finalize the ruling on January 14.

But the Golden Gate Yacht Club, which represents Oracle, said a decision was not now expected until next week.

"Justice Herman Cahn of the New York State Supreme Court today heard further arguments on the order and scheduled a hearing for January 23," it said in a statement. "GGYC expects the court will sign the order either then or shortly afterwards."

"We are very pleased with today," club spokesman Tom Ehman said in the statement. "We are confident the court's decision of November 27 will be enforced."

Alinghi has asked the court to reexamine its ruling, arguing that Oracle's original challenge should have been declared inadmissable because it contains "a major flaw in the boat certificate."

But the court is widely expected to stick by its earlier decision and set a date for a catamaran duel in October 2008 for the next race, as sought by Oracle, instead of a conventional America's Cup regatta with several challenghers.

The next edition of yachting's showpiece event was originally planned for 2009 in the Spanish Mediterranean port of Valencia but it has been indefinitely postponed because of the legal dispute.

However, if Alinghi appeals the decision and the legal wrangling continues beyond the end of January it could be too late to organise a duel before 2009, under the the archaic set of rules governing sport's oldest prize known as the Deed of Gift.

But Alinghi said it has already sent two Extreme 40 catamarans to train in Valencia, where they arrived on Monday.

"We are preparing for what could happen," a spokesman for the team said.

The America's Cup first hit the rocks in the aftermath of the hugely successful staging of the 32nd edition won by defender Alinghi against Team New Zealand in Valencia in July.

The crisis was triggered by Alinghi's naming of Spain's Desafio as the official 'Challenger of Record' and a controversial reworking of some of the rules.

Oracle said Alinghi was giving itself an unfair advantage and took their case to court.

The court ruled that Oracle should be the Challenger of Record, meaning it can help negotiate the rules for the next America's Cup.

Source: www.turkishpress.com

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