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DUBAI - Russell Coutts called on his former team Alinghi to clarify their intentions for the next America's Cup before thinking about ambitious revamps of sport's oldest running competition.
Ernesto Bertarelli, owner of Swiss Cup holders Alinghi, proposed radical changes to the event last week after losing a
legal challenge to Coutts' new team, BMW Oracle of the United States over arrangements for the 33rd America's Cup. The next regatta was originally scheduled for Valencia in 2009.
"We need an answer now, yes or no to an America's Cup in Valencia in 2009," Coutts told Reuters by telephone from the Dubai Gold Cup, the last leg of the 2007 championship of the new RC 44 class that he started.
"Maybe he has a long-term vision, but we've been asking for clarity about what's happening now.
"A lot of teams are gearing up for Valencia. We need a decision. We need to know what boats we are racing and where we are racing," said the three-times America's Cup-winning skipper and Olympic gold medallist.
Alinghi and its organising body ACM originally called for the 33rd America's Cup to be raced in 27-metre boats in Valencia in 2009 but last month said it would be delayed indefinitely because the legal uncertainty was making it hard to sign up sponsors in time.
Now BMW Oracle has won the legal case, they could race Alinghi one-on-one in multihulled boats next year but the US syndicate has said they would prefer other teams to be involved and for them all to stick to Valencia 2009.
Last week, Bertarelli did not say how he wanted to defend the Cup but instead suggested rewriting the Deed of Gift, the 19th century document that rules the competition.
Bertarelli wants to involve the holder from the start, a big departure from the current format in which challengers race each other for the right to take on the defender in a head-to-head at the end.
He also proposed setting a long-term schedule for future Cups. "The competition has lasted 156 years in its current format. Any changes must be made with great care," said New Zealander Coutts, who fell out with Bertarelli in 2004 and was sacked from Alinghi.
"You cannot just have one or two people decide. Change could be good or it could not be good.
"All the different stakeholders should be consulted -- the teams, the sponsors, the television companies. We are not against discussing change. But this should involve everyone."
Bertarelli said that if no agreement was found over his proposals, the only alternative was for Alinghi to race BMW Oracle one-on-one.
If this happens, the next America's Cup with a full set of challengers will probably not take place until 2011.
Coutts is against this scenario: "We still want a conventional America's Cup in 2009. If we face a Deed of Gift race then we must build a multihull boat for that, which takes time. And time is running out."
At the Dubai Gold Cup Coutts is taking on, among others, James Spithill and Dean Barker, the respective helmsmen of Italy's Luna Rossa and Team New Zealand at this year's America's Cup.
Spithill, an 28-year-old Australian, is tipped to join Coutts' BMW Oracle team for the 33rd America's Cup.
- REUTERS