Judge rules Ras al-Khaimah cannot host America's Cup

Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates cannot host the America's Cup race between American and Swiss crews, a New York State Supreme Court judge ruled yesterday.

In August, the Alinghi consortium of Switzerland picked the Arabian Gulf port for its February showdown against American challenger BMW Oracle Racing.

Judge Kornreich based a decision on the stipulation in the 1887 Deed of Gift that the America's Cup cannot be sailed in the Northern Hemisphere between 1st November and 1st May. Oracle had previously raised concerns that Ras al-Khaimah was unsafe due to its proximity to Iran.

The Deed of Gift is the primary instrument that governs the rules to make a valid challenge for the America's Cup and the rules of conduct of the races. The most likely location for the race now appears to be Valencia, as neither party complained about the Spanish venue in court. Otherwise, the race will have to take place in the Southern Hemisphere.

The one-on-one race follows a convoluted two-year legal fight between Alinghi-backing biotech tycoon Ernesto Bertarelli and US billionaire Larry Ellison, the founder and Chief Executive of business software giant Oracle Corp, over who was the legitimate challenger following the 2007 Cup.

28th October 2009 - RAS AL KHAIMAH TO HOST 2010 AMERICA’S CUP