America's Cup hardens up

The farcical delays and squabbling between billionaires Larry Ellison and Ernesto Bertarelli over the next challenge for the America's Cup may finally be coming to an end.

Both camps met over the weekend to discuss a possible venue for the 33rd America's Cup regatta and the New York Supreme Court is demanding some action. The court is expected to rule on a venue by next week and also rule on the sailing regulations and jury system for the best of three race series.

Valencia in Spain is still tipped as the likely spot, although some Queenslanders are still hoping the offer by Bertarelli's Alinghi syndicate to sail "somewhere on the Australia east coast" might see the two giant yachts in their waters.

Some Alinghi syndicate members were seen scouting around Townsville earlier this year but, as February is the middle of FNQ's cyclone season, it is extremely unlikely that either Alinghi or BMW Oracle Racing would like to risk their fragile and high-tech boats in 100km/h winds.

A more likely scenario would be in Spanish waters, such as the previously suggested Valencia.

BREAKING NEWS: It's official, Valencia has been chosen as the region to host the 33rd America's Cup, which will take place in February 2010. The America's Cup Defender, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) - which sails Alinghi - confirmed that it will conduct a Deed of Gift Match with rival Golden Gate Yacht Club (which sails BMW Oracle) in Valencia in February 2010.

Originally the event was destined for Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE before legal action found the location was in breach of the Deed of Gift.

Alinghi's 90 by 90 foot catamaran was design for winds under 10 knots and BOR's 90 by 90 foot trimaran is designed for winds only fractionally stronger. Neither yacht is designed to sail in ocean swells -- so any racing in Australia would have to be inside the Great Barrier Reef.

With boat yachts now using engines to power their winches, making the clash less than a real yachting event in the eyes of many traditionalists, BOR upped the stakes this week by unveiling a new solid wing sail.

The huge mast was wheeled out of the team's base in San Diego after having been built in secret at BOR's boat building facility in Anacortes, Washington.

It is the largest solid wing ever built for a sailing boat and is remarkable in its size and construction. It will tower 190ft (57m) above the deck and is 80 per cent larger than the wing on a Boeing 747 Jumbo airliner - see video below.

The wing will be stepped in the BOR trimaran (which lost its mast during testing last week) later this week and testing will take place to see if it is, as expected, faster than a traditional soft sail.

The primary advantage of the solid wing sail, as has been demonstrated on A-class catamarans for the past decade, is that they are easier to control and have little or no distortion due to wind pressure.