The court battle over the venue is not over yet, and behind the scenes there is already rumoured to be haggling over the mode. Russell Coutts, meanwhile, is thinking about the future.
Even though we won't know until tomorrow whether sailing will take place in Valencia or Ras al-Khaimah, the San Diego Tribune reports that negotiations are underway between Alinghi and BMWOracle to extend the Cup from the current maximum of three to a maximum of five or even seven races. That would be good for spectators, sponsors and probably also for Alinghi.
Following the latest judgement restricting the use of water ballast for the Swiss cat, there is likely to be a lot of work for the defenders. Experts believe there are two possibilities: Modification of the hull shape to bring the maximum permitted survey length of the waterline to 90 feet (approx. 27 metres), or the erection of a second mast, with which, according to the foundation charter, the surveyed waterline may be up to 115 feet (approx. 35 metres).
BMWOracle's Megatri with its huge wing rig has now become very dear to the people of San Diego. They remember something similar from 1988, when "local hero" Dennis Conner successfully defended an Americas Cup on site with a catamaran and wing rig against the giant keelboat of the New Zealanders, and won the associated court skirmishes.
Almost every day over the last few months, you could watch the BMWOracle racing machine sail its way through the narrow and busy bay of San Diego, out onto the Pacific Ocean, where it really put the pedal to the metal. Up to 40 knots are said to have been achieved in training. For anyone familiar with the light winds off San Diego, this is an incredible figure.
If Larry Ellison brings the Cup back to the USA with his team, it will be with Russell Coutts, who took the baroque jug from San Diego in 1995. "It could be a fabulous match," says the New Zealander, who has 15 race wins in the Americas Cup himself without a defeat. "These are two really cool boats battling it out. The faster boat wins."
Isn't that the case with every Cup? No, says Coutts. A "real Americas Cup" is decided by the best use of resources such as time, people and technology, whereas this time it's mainly just about technology. "But once we're sailing, this technology will generate a lot of interest."
However, Coutts does not believe in a future for the mega multinationals at the Cup. "The court cases have undoubtedly damaged their popularity with the public. We have to find the right way to win back people's interest. If we can't do that, we're out of business," he told the San Diego Tribune. "An Americas Cup should have 10 or 15 competitive teams. And that's impossible with boats like this."
