National Pride?

US team oppose UAE venue

America's Cup defender team Alinghi's choice of venue has proved unpopular with the US team [EPA] The dispute over the choice of Ras al-Khaimah as the venue for sailing's prestigious America's Cup race shows no sign of being resolved. The US-based challenger BMW Oracle Racing has raised concerns over the selection of the Persian Gulf port as the racing venue, citing proximity to Iran and ongoing security concerns. The venue was chosen by the two-time defending champion Alinghi, who are backed by the Societe Nautique de Geneve (SNG). Challenger Golden Gate Yacht Club of San Francisco, which backs the BMW Oracle Racing team, told the SNG that it is considering filing a complaint with New York courts on the grounds of breach of fiduciary duty, in part because of the selection of Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, as the site of the best-of-three showdown. SO .. a landlocked nation buys a boat and crew and challenges for the America's Cup. The conrotium wins and decides to market the race to a cash rich, sailing poor dictator from a country that presumably would assure that the race is remunerative and sexually proper. America itself challemnges by raising money from BMW, a German firm........................... the new nationalism???