Special features

Sailing: America's Cup delayed

Holders and challengers battle it out in the courtroom

By Phil Jackson Last updated: 22nd November 2007

Alinghi: Celebrating their 2007 victory

The America's Cup has been postponed because of a legal dispute over proposed rule changes for the 2009 competition.

BMW Oracle Racing's Golden Gate Yacht Club is currently battling AC Management, holders Alinghi's Societe Nautique de Geneve and the Club Nautico Espanol de Vela in the courts over their right to change the rules and regulations.

The Americans dispute the Spanish syndicate's legitimacy and want to replace the team on the board to draw up the new format for the event.

Competition organisers have therefore been given no choice but to delay the 33rd edition of the competition.

America's Cup Management said: "The ongoing uncertainty around the conclusion of the New York court case brought by BMW Oracle Racing leaves the organisers no choice but to delay the event, as many indicators demonstrate a lack of viability to stage the event in 2009 to the same standards as the 32nd America's Cup."

Team Alinghi, which beat Emirates Team New Zealand 5-2 in July, and BMW Oracle Racing were in negotiations until Friday in hopes of reaching an out-of-court settlement, but the competition now looks set to be pushed back until 2010 or 2011 instead.