Try this one on for size, during an interplay of a sports converse, being asked hey, what’s going on with the America’s Cup?” Sum that one up in a moment or two without either completely gaining or losing an audience. This is either a two minute short answer or a twenty minute layered monologue. Hence a time line of events.
In a brief summation, the America’s Cup is currently held by the Geneva Yacht Club in Switzerland. They won the America’s Cup in New Zealand in 2003. The yacht Club chose Valencia, Spain to host the 2007 America’s Cup. Valencia is located on the Mediterranean Sea and is one of the world’s oldest ports. The racing must take place on the sea, or an arm of the sea.
Last year, in Valencia the yacht club was represented by its sailing team called Alinghi. The word alinghi was made up as a child by the owner of the team, billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli.
Alinghi beat Team New Zealand 5-2 in one of the most exciting America’s Cups in history. After the series was over, the Geneva Yacht Club drafted the rules for the next America’s Cup. With the help of the Spanish Sailing Federation, they created a phantom yacht club to agree to bogus new rules and represent any challengers, who might be interested in racing for the right to face to Swiss in an America’s Cup finals in 2009.
After the new rules were announced, the Golden Gate Yacht in San Francisco, California objected and issued a challenge of their own in accordance to the rules that govern the America’s Cup, called the Deed of Gift. The Deed of Gift was drafted by the owners of the yacht that won the first Cup race in 1851.
In 1887 the America’s Cup was deeded in a charitable trust to the people of the State of New York. Any legal disputes that arise involving the America’s Cup must be resolved by the New York Court System.
When the Golden Gate Yacht Club objected to the new rules they sued the Geneva Yacht Club in the New York Supreme Court. The issue now stands before a judge and we are all awaiting his final ruling.
It is possible when the final ruling is made that the next America’s Cup may take place later this year or early next year in giant multi hull boats. So, in very simple terms; that’s the way it is.
Of course to most people, the America’s Cup hasn't been on sport's radar since Dennis Conner lost the Cup and then won it back in the 1980’s. What makes this next court generated race so compelling is that the majority can't recall anything about all the America’s Cup races that took place over the last twenty years, but they do remember Dennis defending the ‘Cup in a catamaran.
What goes around, comes around.
