GGYC looks to court ruling to end

[Source: Golden Gate Yacht Club] New York, 2 April 2008: The Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) said today that it was pleased that the New York State Supreme Court will soon fix the timing for the next America’s Cup match, allowing the whole event to move forward.

“It was apparent that Justice Cahn understands that the Deed only provides for the defender to have ten-months notice to prepare for the match,” said Tom Ehman, the San Francisco club’s spokesman. “We were very pleased with the hearing. We continue to look forward to a match in October 2008.”

In July 2007 the American club challenged for a match in July 2008, giving the defender, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), more than the prescribed ten month notice. GGYC has since said that it would race in October 2008, which is ten months from Justice Herman Cahn’s decision last November declaring GGYC the valid challenger.

Recent claims by Ernesto Bertarelli, head of SNG’s Team Alinghi, to have been surprised by a 2008 date were at odds with statements he made to the media late last year that Alinghi was getting ready for a match in 2008, Ehman said. During the hearing, the court asked SNG’s lawyer to disclose the location of the match. He declined to do so.

In recent days other leading syndicates have called on the defender to stop delaying tactics so the Cup can move forward.

Grant Dalton, Emirates Team New Zealand Managing Director, has called Alinghi’s demands for a 2009 event a “smokescreen.”

Vincenzo Onorato, President of the Italian syndicate Mascalzone Latino, said last week: “The best solution now would be to hold the multihull challenge between Oracle and Alinghi, even if, yet again, the latter try to delay the event using every possible tactic.”