By JULIE ASH
Team New Zealand may have to be ready as early as next year if they are to challenge for the next America's Cup.
The Societe Nautique de Geneve (the yacht club represented by Alinghi, the holders) and the Golden Gate Yacht Club (the challenger of record, represented by
Larry Ellison's Oracle BMW Racing) last night announced the protocol governing the 32nd America's Cup.
Among the changes are plans for a series of regattas involving the challengers and the defender leading up to the cup.
"We hope to have a series of events in 2004, 2005 and 2006 at the same event or possibly different venues, said Oracle BMW rules adviser Tom Ehman.
"Those regattas will count in some small way how you are seeded into the round robin at the start of the challengers' selection series."
The venue and date of the next cup regatta have yet to be confirmed. However, with the Athens Olympics next year and the soccer World Cup in 2006, the next America's Cup is not likely to be before 2007.
Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts said it was hoped to name a venue by December 15.
"We have named European waters as to where it will be raced in but we want to find a venue that has consistent weather and consistent breeze so they can plan live television and a schedule of events," Coutts said.
The most significant change in protocol is the way the challengers series and the match will now be run.
One organisation will now manage and organise both.
There will also be an independent race management committee which will control the challenger series and the match.
"The challenger of record and Societe Nautique de Geneve will appoint a race director.
"That race director will appoint the race management, the umpires and the measurement committee," said Coutts.
There are also plans for the regatta to work in more with live television.
The race director will have more flexibility determining how many laps will be sailed and the length of the course.
"Once again, this regatta can be programmed for live TV," said Coutts.
The yachts will stay the same. However, once the venue is decided there may be subtle changes to the rules. "I don't think you'll see a hula again," was one comment - which indicates some fine-tuning of the design rules.
To encourage new competitors design information can now be sold.
"Under this new rule new teams will be able to purchase the information and start on more of a level footing," said Coutts.
Also, if a syndicate wishes to purchase boats from other teams they can also obtain the performance information of those boats.
Design information can be purchased up to October 1 next year.
In other changes:
* All teams will reveal their yachts before the start of the competition and the challenger may change yachts before they race the defender.
* The nationality rule has been abolished, allowing sailors to move around more freely.
* The whole regatta will be shortened, possibly to just eight weeks.
* Weather information will be gathered collectively.
The cost of entry is nearly $900,000 plus a $2 million performance bond.
"The America's Cup in New Zealand was great and we are committed to do our best to organise another great event," said Alinghi executive director Michel Bonnefous.
"The new protocol has many of the same features as the previous regatta - but it also contains many innovative reforms."
Further reading: nzherald.co.nz/americascup
By JULIE ASH
Team New Zealand may have to be ready as early as next year if they are to challenge for the next America's Cup.
The Societe Nautique de Geneve (the yacht club represented by Alinghi, the holders) and the Golden Gate Yacht Club (the challenger of record, represented by
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