Queensland is being considered as a possible venue for February’s America’s Cup challenge.  The location is currently being decided in court after Oracle, the challenging American team, disputed the Swiss team’s choice of the Persian Gulf.  Now it appears that the Swiss are willing to move the event to the coast of Australia.  Sydney was initially considered until it was conceded that the waters outside Sydney harbor are not conducive to yacht racing.  Southport in Queensland was then suggested and is now under consideration.  The decision is now before the New York State Supreme Court.  Read more about the America’s Cup in Australia on the Sydney Morning Herald website.

After nearly two years of litigation, a New York Supreme Court Justice upheld the decision to hold the 33rd running of the America’s Cup race in February of 2010. The rules of the America’s Cup state that the defending champion and the challenger of record decide the location and date of the next event.

The defending champion is Swiss-based Alinghi, which sails under the colors of Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG). Alinghi had requested the event to be held in May 2010 and had also identified the Spanish syndicate Desafio Espanol as the challenger of record. Oracle, from San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club, went to court to be recognized as the challenger of record. Oracle won and was also able to set the date for the event.

Hopefully Alinghi and Oracle can now being negotiations to decide other important details of the America’s Cup, such as the location of the race and standards for entries. The America’s Cup is one of the world’s oldest sporting competitions, originating at the New York Yacht Club in 1851.