Americas Cup postponed in legal row

The 2009 America's Cup in Valencia has been postponed because of a legal dispute between holders Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing…

The 2009 America's Cup in Valencia has been postponed because of a legal dispute between holders Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing, organisers said today.

BMW Oracle have taken Alinghi to court in New York arguing that the Swiss defender chose an illegitimate yacht club to help set the rules for the next America's Cup, which the San Francisco-based team say are unfairly weighted in Alinghi's favour.

A statement on the official race website read: "The ongoing uncertainty around the conclusion of the New York court case brought by BOR leaves the organisers no choice but to delay the event, as many indicators demonstrate a lack of viability to stage the event in 2009 to the same standards as the 32nd America's Cup."

  • Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date

  • Sign up for push alerts to get the best breaking news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone

  • Listen to In The News podcast daily for a deep dive on the stories that matter