Having lost many of their previous cases in the recent string of court appearances, Alinghi appears to have won the battle that mattered to it most, the date of the next Americaâ??s Cup.

In a court ruling that was issued on Monday afternoon in New York, Judge Cahn ruled that the 33rd Americaâ??s Cup would take place no sooner than 10 months from when the court order was served, which would most likely put March 2009 as the earliest date for the match between Alinghi and BMW Oracle.

On the face of it the location of the match appears to be Valencia, according to judge Cahnâ??s ruling, but the detail goes on to say, or â??any other location selected by Societe Nautique Geneve (SNG)â??, provided they notify GGYC in writing not less than six months in advance of the race.

Both parts of the ruling appear to give the Swiss everything they wished for, namely more time and the ability to select a location for the next event. But the Americaâ??s Cup is not out of the woods yet.

The Deed of Gift (DoG) states that racing can only occur in the Northern Hemisphere from May 1 to November 1. Either the date must change or the location. In addition, Alinghi still has an appeal outstanding regarding the detail of the GGYCâ??s challenge, namely whether the boat be a keel yacht or not and a potential issue regarding the disclosure of technical details.

The struggle is not over yet.