KEY POINTS:
Team New Zealand's managing director Grant Dalton says there is nothing unexpected in Alinghi's plans for the next America's Cup.
While the venue and the timing of the event has yet to be confirmed, the next cup will feature a new class of boat - 90ft yachts sailed by a crew of around 20 sailors.
Perhaps the most surprising news to come out of yesterday's announcement was that the challenger of record, Club Nautico Espanol de Vela, who had to agree on the rules, has allowed Alinghi to sail in the challenger series if they choose. They just cannot compete in the final.
Although the move is a major break from tradition, where the challengers have steered well clear of the defender, Dalton said it is something Team New Zealand would also have considered introducing had they won.
"You don't need it spelt out what the whole point of it is," Dalton said.
"I think you also need to look at the fact that the defender would potentially have a defender series particularly when there is a new boat in play. They have got the Cup, they make the rules. If you don't like the rules don't play."
While Dalton agreed the move may take away some of the fascination and intrigue of the event, he said "the event changes all the time, it just adds intrigue in other ways".
The venue and the timing of the next event will be announced by December 31, along with the new design rules.
America's Cup Management chief executive Michel Bonnefous acknowledged there is an existing relationship with Valencia and a host city agreement with the city was being pursued.
If that is successful the teams could find themselves back in Valencia in two years time in new boats. Dalton said Team New Zealand will progress as if that is the case.
"From our point we have been working on a 2009 environment with a new boat."
With Alinghi creating the new design rules, the defenders will have a head start over the challengers. The event will not be held less than 18 months after the announcement of the new design rule. "It is the same challenge and some will get it better than others.
"One imagines the defender will be already working on that - again not different to what any other defender would have done."
From a designer's point of view it was incredibly exciting. "Not only do you have to maintain and race existing boats, you have to have a good design team standing by ready to launch into a new boat."
Dalton said changes Team NZ might have made if they had won the cup included a new class of boat and allowing the defenders to race in the challengers' series.
"Certainly it appears that our documents crossed in the night at some stage," he said of the similarity between their ideas and the protocol.
He didn't feel the changes would be bad for Team New Zealand. They probably favoured big teams, like his own, which are already up and running and had established a financial base. He suspected new teams would struggle.
"For a commercially funded team that doesn't have a sponsor base, it would be a hard conversation to be having: 'We don't know if it is in two years, three years or four years, we can't tell you how much because we don't know what the rules are.' They'd say forget it."
Full Speed Ahead
* Venue: Somewhere in Europe. Decision to be made by December 31, 2007.
* When: 2009, 2010 or 2011. If Valencia is chosen again it is likely to be in 2009.
* Boats: 90 footers. Sliding keels permitted. The new design rules will be issued on or before December 31, 2007.
* In an effort to limit costs there is a possibility that competitors will be allowed to build only one new boat.
* 20-21 sailors may sail on the boat.
* Alinghi can compete in the challenger series if they chose. They just can't compete in the final which decides who races them for the Cup.
* There may also be a defender series.
* There may be qualifying regattas prior to the commencement of the challenger series depending on the number of challengers. The qualifying regattas may determine which challengers proceed to the challenger series. The current class boats will be used in the qualifying regattas.
