America's Cup: The Cup defenders on a cosy course

Unity instead of discord. Looking to the future instead of small-mindedness in the here and now. The American Cup defenders are visibly endeavouring to calm the waves in the Cup planning and to direct the public's gaze towards a bright future. Team Oracle Team USA today followed up the favourable open letter from four potential European challengers with an equally favourable-sounding summary of the results of a meeting with the quartet of challengers. However, one team was once again absent from the meeting: Team New Zealand remained silent and was conspicuous by its absence.

However, representatives of the teams Luna Rossa Challenge, Ben Ainslie Racing, Artemis Racing and France met with the defenders in London to exchange their arguments. In a press release from the Americans, it was subsequently stated that the meeting had been positive and that the teams had agreed on the following points:

1. In future, regular meetings will be held with all teams in order to optimise the potential of the upcoming and future Cup editions.
2. Each team plans a regatta in the America's Cup World Series. Either in their own country or in another country of their choice.
3. All teams present agreed to commit to continuing the America's Cup World Series if they win the Cup in 2017.
4. All teams want to work on further reducing costs for the upcoming and future Cup editions.
5. All teams want to support the venue yet to be chosen - whether it is San Diego or Bermuda.
6. A working group is to agree on a date and format for the 36th America's Cup in order to lay the foundations for a sustainable regatta.

While points 1, 2, 4 and 5 seem to make sense, at least in part, points 3 and 6 are hardly realisable from today's perspective and raise many questions. This is because the America's Cup is still governed by the law of the foundation charter, which allows the winner to organise the next edition of the Cup. It therefore sounds somewhat absurd if plans are already being made for the next but one edition, even though the winner is far from certain and can make his (possibly changing) opinion known.