Yachting: Venue key to big race-off

The 33rd America's Cup now seems likely to be sailed on February 8, 2010, maybe in Valencia.

At last, some clarity - if it can be called that - has occurred in the beleaguered, Cup after a court order naming BMW Oracle as Challenger of Record.

Oracle can now, if it so chooses, insist upon a giant, multi-hull, one-on-one challenge against holders Alinghi.

The Americans have built an enormous US$20m trimaran and the Swiss are understood to be building a gigantic catamaran in response.

Both have said sweet words about going back to a multi-challenger event, involving up to 19 challengers in conventional boats, including Emirates Team NZ. But the cynical money is banking on the fact that Oracle and Alinghi have never agreed on anything and that Oracle will thus enforce its multi-hull rights.

All that needs to be decided after that is the date and the venue - and the NY Supreme Court enforced its previous order (made before the matter was appealed) set a formula for the date.

That formula works out to be a best-of-three series, run between February 8-12. However, the court order effectively frees the two combatants from an old regulation that states that a regatta cannot be run in a Northern Hemisphere winter. That had previously led most observers to predict a May 10 regatta, close enough to summer.

With the Northern Hemisphere restriction removed, the main interest now centres on the venue. That will be Alinghi's call and, while most expect Valencia, it is by no means certain.

Finding a venue with light airs in a northern February will be interesting and may even involve other parts of the world.

Unless, of course, reason prevails and both agree on a multi-challenger event.

Unlikely, but we can dream and so can the commodores of all the yacht clubs that have held the cup, including the Royal NZ Yacht Squadron.

They have increased the pressure on Alinghi in an open letter calling for a multi-challenger event.