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BMW Oracle - Source: Reuters -
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So where to now for the America's Cup? Speculation is feverish amongst Cup fans as to where it might go and the rumour mill has been working overtime.
At first Orcacle boss Larry Ellison was a bit cagey about who is the Challenger of Record but that has been confirmed as being Mascalzone Latino, the Italian team fronted by Vincento Onerato who has continually backed Oracle in its legal battles with Alinghi.
That's the who sorted but the when and where are a long way from being decided. San Francisco, home of Ellison and Oracle, has been touted and Ellison says it is being considered provided the city comes to the party. But in reality San Francisco Bay is not a great America's Cup race track and there'd be issues about where to site a Cup village.
More likely is the alternative rumour doing the rounds which sees the Cup return to Newpoprt Rhode Island for a regatta in 2013. It certainly has a nice symmetry. It would be the 30th anniversary of the Cup leaving America for the first time in 132 years after Australia 2's famous win over Dennis Conner's Liberty off Newport. It would also mark Louis Vuitton's 30 year involvement with the Cup.
The other connected rumour is that Ellison has bought what used to be the Astors mansion in Belle View, the extraordinary street in Newport which is surely one of the most exclusive addresses in the world.
More importantly from a Kiwi perspective have been the pronouncements that the 34th America's Cup will be a multi-challenger event run by an independent body. The challengers will be consulted about the boats, the venue and the format which is a big leap forward.
As to the boats, well, what can I say? The multis were utterly, completely, staggeringly, stunningly amazing. Those who see them as the future were given huge ammunition by the closeness of the first beat in race two which was actually classic match racing in that sailing skills superseded the technology.
What's missing is that really close boat-on-boat action. The multis are simply too fast and powerful for close encounters. My vote would go to a grown up RC44 designed by Russell Coutts - a fast high-performance keelboat gets up on the plane and goes. That would be some sight.
All this will shape up in the coming weeks and then we will know what the 34th America's Cup is going to be about. Ellison's vision is to make it the most popular America's Cup of all time.
