Looks like the on going court case is the only way for the United States to participate in the next cup. I'm supprised there wasn't a "Fall Back" Team That would enter the new proposed cup protocol incase Elison loses the court case. Then the team majically gets new sponsorship and becomes Oracle Bmw after they are already in.

Because they would still be competing under an unfair protocol. I'm surprised that he's got as many "signing up" as it appears to be....though there are not any real heavy players.

I read the new protocal and it still does not even the playing field. Quite a farce!

Sooo...what is Ellison going to do with that huge Trimaran? It looked too fragile for an around the world speed attempt. Anyone want to team up and charter it for a cruise?

Ohhh...this thing is FAR from over. This new deadline for the new event is merely a stage show in an effort to show that there is some "support" for Ernesto's protocol. I have been surprised at how many of the smaller teams have complained about the lawsuit and find the current Alinghi protocol agreeable. I guess most of them just want to go sailing and feel that they have little chance to be a final contender so it doesn't matter to them? Perhaps?

There is certainly a pattern that the big teams that actually had the resources to be a true contender for the cup have not signed on with this stage show.

What about the Sailing Anarchy Challenger?
I though they where quite serious in competing in the end.
They certainly have the network and media outlet to give sponsors a good ROI.
The reason for them not being allowed to enter is that the SA-AC Forum had not been "friendly to Alinghi over the past six years".
Unfortunatly the AC seems to be reduced to a poorly written soap opera.

(SA-AC Forum)

They were refused!

I really believe they just want you to believe they might have been serious to make the story just a little more dramatic. I equate them to bunch of drunk sailors sitting at a bar going "hell yeah we could!". It did point out the glaring lack of qualifications required of the teams that are competing with regard to entry fee and/or requirements though.

Why does everyone think that Alinghi is the only bad guy. BMW Oracle can't even beat the challengers yet think they have a chance against Alinghi if they can get a race against them. BMWO are trying to jump the queue leaving all the other challengers (however many there actually are) high and dry.

It's not quite that simple. Alinghi was trying to work the system so that they would have an unfair advantage in the next round.

I completely disagree. The protocol is the problem. BMWO has made it PERFECTLY clear that if Alinghi were to agree to address 8 or 10 points of concern in their protocol, or go back to the last protocol and have another event just like the last (which was incredibly successful), that they would drop the lawsuit immediately. Why hasn't Alinghi even considered any modifications to their rules? The current protocol is a lopsided sham that sets up Alinghi with self-prescribed power to hold the cup forever. The Alinghi protocol is not right, it's not fair, and no bonified challenger would have agreed to such rules.

Why is Alinghi so scared of BMWO that they refuse to negotiate? Their rules, among a handful of other power abuses, give them the power to completely deny or disqualify any challenger at any time. No defender should ever have such power over his competition.

One of the revised provisions disqualifies a Challenger who hires any sailors or designers who have worked for BMW/Oracle since 2007.

Right. And I equate you to an bitter old man shouting "get off my lawn, kid!"

We can't find out how serious it is, because they refused to accept us despite SAYC's being more established and qualified than the Challenger of Record. Since announcing our challenge, we have received an incredible amount of support from professionals of every type - from PR executives to composites engineers. Anarchy Challenge will continue to try to bring the power of the internet to the most archaic sporting event in history.

From what Clean has said before, it was serious enough to get offerred 2 V5 boats and a handful of older IACC boats in addition to scores of other resources that other "poodles" could only ever dream of.

I must admit that I haven't bothered to read the protocol, but from the outside all I see is a couple of teams (20 or so on paper) that agree to it and only one that doesn't...is it just unfair to that single team?

If BMWO were to agree to the current protocol, get through to finally challenge Alinghi but get thrown out of the event, which is the worst case scenario, they would surely have a greater leg to stand on in court than they currently do. Either way it would be better than spending millions in the court-room.

Settle it on the water.

Ok, well I didn't know that. You're entitled to equating me as such since you know very little about me.

However, with all due respect (and I do respect you, Clean). The application flirted with it, but didn't quite walk the walk of complete seriousness. When I had read it, it appeared to me to be more of a point against CNEV's status as a "yacht club" and it seems to me (outside looking in) that the thing only got serious after the fact.

What a great way to keep the competition down (again)!

To be fair, I did some more research into the effort put forth by SAYC and can see that you guys (you) did put a great deal of effort into the challenge. Maybe SA could pull it off...who am I to say. However, SA does have some credibility issues within the upper ranks (blue blazer) of sailing and I believe it was this that really led to the denial and the lack of serious consideration.

Damn Jake,
We've(multihull sailors) got "some credibility issues within the upper ranks (blue blazer) of sailing" does that mean ,if we tried we couldn't whip E.B.'s pompous a$$.
I applaud the SA effort, maybe they should just crash the party anyway.
Maybe your one of the Blue blazer types undercover( or it's cold and you want to argue), but I know I fit the SA style way better than the Blue Blazer style.

I wasn't picking a fight. Are you saying that I was wrong and SA is well respected in the upper echelon of the sailing community? I didn't say anything about who fits what style.