Following today’s meeting in Geneva (23 April 09) between the two sides in the long running debate over the next America’s Cup, plans for the next event have taken an unusual turn.

Earlier in the week the Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) and its team, BMW Oracle Racing had made its proposals for a multi-challenger event in monohulls public. Alinghi and the Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG), remained tight lipped.

Today it would appear that the 33rd America’s Cup will be a multi-challenger event in multihulls, some time during 2010.

According to the GGYC, ‘GGYC’s clear and straight-forward proposals for a fully competitive, conventional America’s Cup in monohulls were rejected by SNG, who insisted on a regatta in large multihulls under the Deed of Gift (“DoG”).’

SNG on the other hand saw things a little differently stating that it, ‘accepts the Golden Gate Yacht Club’s (GGYC) challenge for the 33rd America’s Cup and informed representatives of the American yacht club that its team, Alinghi, will be ready to race their 90x90ft boat (as stated in the GGYC Notice of Challenge) in 2010.’

The statement went on to say, ‘SNG expressed its willingness for the challenger selection to be open to other teams and has encouraged GGYC to do so by offering them more time for teams to prepare if necessary.’

Which then led to the next issue – when?

According to the GGYC, ‘SNG asserted that the Deed of Gift match with GGYC would take place in May 2010. This is in defiance of the recent decision and orders of the New York courts that the DoG match take place in February 2010.’

Meanwhile, the SNG’s official statement on timing was that it, ‘would be flexible and ready to discuss other terms of the 33rd America’s Cup such as race format, venue or calendar.’

The switch to multihulls was not a move that the broader Cup community had expected. Indeed, the announcement appears to have taken the GGYC by surprise as well. For potential Challengers the switch from mono to multi is surely a step too far within such a short time frame, which also seems to be a further potential for disagreement.

The full statements from each side read as follows;

GOLDEN GATE YACHT CLUB (GGYC)

‘A delegation from the Golden Gate Yacht Club and its team, BMW ORACLE Racing, met in Geneva today with representatives of SNG/Alinghi.

GGYC’s clear and straight-forward proposals for a fully competitive,
conventional America’s Cup in monohulls were rejected by SNG, who insisted on a regatta in large multihulls under the Deed of Gift (“DoG”).

SNG asserted that the Deed of Gift match with GGYC would take place in May 2010. This is in defiance of the recent decision and orders of the New York courts that the DoG match take place in February 2010.

GGYC has asked SNG to put their position in writing, and hopes to have
another meeting with SNG soon to clarify issues related to the DoG match.

GGYC is disappointed that SNG categorically rejected our proposals for a conventional regatta. GGYC will continue to negotiate in good faith as
Challenger of Record to put the America’s Cup back on the water as soon as possible.’

SOCIÉTÉ NAUTIQUE DE GENÈVE (SNG)

At a meeting today in Geneva, the America’s Cup defending yacht club, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), confirmed that it accepts the Golden Gate Yacht Club’s (GGYC) challenge for the 33rd America’s Cup and informed representatives of the American yacht club that its team, Alinghi, will be ready to race their 90x90ft boat (as stated in the GGYC Notice of Challenge) in 2010.

SNG expressed its willingness for the challenger selection to be open to other teams and has encouraged GGYC to do so by offering them more time for teams to prepare if necessary. It was also stated that the SNG would be flexible and ready to discuss other terms of the 33rd America’s Cup such as race format, venue or calendar.