 BMW Oracle racing USA-17 training off the coast of Valencia, Spain in late January 2010 | |
Defender  Switzerland | |
|---|---|
| Defender club: | Société Nautique de Genève |
| Yacht: | Alinghi 5 |
Challenger  United States | |
| Challenger club: | Golden Gate Yacht Club |
| Yacht: | USA 17 |
| Competition | |
| Location: | Port America's Cup, Valencia, Spain |
| 39°28′N 0°18.5′W / 39.467°N 0.3083°W | |
| Dates: | 8–14 February 2010 |
| Rule: | Deed of Gift match |
| Winner: | Golden Gate Yacht Club |
| Score: | 2–0 |
← 2007 2013 → | |
The 33rd America's Cup between Société Nautique de Genève defending with team Alinghi against Golden Gate Yacht Club, and their racing team BMW Oracle Racing was the subject of extensive court action and litigation, surpassing in acrimony even the controversial 1988 America's Cup. Since the two parties were unable to agree otherwise, the match took place as a one-on-one deed of gift match[NB 1] in gigantic, specialized multi-hull racing yachts with no other clubs or teams participating. The Golden Gate Yacht Club swept the two races as their yacht USA 17 powered by a rigid wing-sail proved to be significantly faster than Société Nautique de Genève's yacht Alinghi 5. The litigation leading up to the match included which club would be the challenger, the dates and venue for the regattas, certain rules governing the regattas (in particular the measurement rules), and the construction of the boats.
The Americans won back the Cup after they last lost it in 1995.
When Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) successfully defended the trophy in the 32nd America's Cup, they immediately accepted a challenge from Club Náutico Español de Vela (CNEV) a Spanish organization formed expressly for the purpose of challenging for the cup and keeping the regatta in Valencia. When SNG and CNEV published their protocol for the 33rd America's Cup challenge, there was widespread consternation over its terms, with some teams and yacht clubs calling it the worst protocol in the history of the event.[1]
The Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) filed its own challenge for the Cup and then filed a court case asking that CNEV be removed as Challenger of Record as being unqualified under the Deed of Gift. GGYC also asked that it be named as the rightful Challenger of Record, being the first club to file a conforming challenge.[2] There followed a long and acrimonious legal battle,[3] with the New York Court of Appeals finally deciding on April 2, 2009, that CNEV did not qualify as valid challenger, and that the GGYC was thus the rightful Challenger of Record.[4]
Cite error: There are <ref group=NB> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=NB}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Gladwell, Richard (October 8, 2007). "America's Cup document says RNZYS against Protocol". Sail-World NZL. Archived from the original on 2012-03-14. Retrieved April 16, 2009.
- ^ GGYC Complaint Against SNG Archived August 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Scuttlebutt News: Cory E. Friedman – 33rd America's Cup". Sailingscuttlebutt.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2010. Retrieved 2010-02-15.
- ^ Golden Gate Yacht Club v. Societe Nautique De Geneve (New York Court of Appeals 2 April 2009), Text.