Shame

33rd America's Cup will not be held in Cuba states Ernesto Bertarelli

Following a misleading report in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Monday, Ernesto Bertarelli, president of Alinghi, the Defender of the 33rd America’s Cup, today denied any intention of holding the next event in Cuba. “If the New York Courts decide that we must race a Deed of Gift Match against the Golden Gate Yacht Club, the decision regarding the venue will be taken at the appropriate time, however we will not hold the event in Cuba,” he stated from his office in Geneva.

References to Cuba as a possible venue for the 33rd America’s Cup have been published in the media (see Il Corriere della Sera, March 19 2008 and The Independent, March 23 2008) and have even been used by Golden Gate Yacht Club representatives at a conference in Valencia.

Cuba was also mentioned ironically during an informal conversation between Bertarelli and a group of journalists in Geneva last Saturday. However, he never suggested that Cuba would be the location selected for the 33rd America’s Cup. “I don’t want a bad joke that has been circulating for several months to be misinterpreted or used out of context,” said Bertarelli.