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America's Cup defenders Alinghi says they are studying "various venues" for the next edition of yachting's premier event, a multihull duel against US rivals BMW-Oracle.

The statement, in a letter by Alinghi's representative, the Societe Nautique de Geneve, was an indication that the event may not take place in the Spanish port of Valenica as originally planned.

It follows a decision by a New York Supreme Court last week backing Oracle's demand that the race be held in February, 2010. Alinghi wanted the event to be staged three months later in May 2010.

The two sides have been locked in a legal battle over the rules of the next America's Cup since Alinghi won the 32nd edition in Valencia in July 2007.

A New York court in early April backed Oracle in the dispute.

That ruling means the two teams must hold a best-of-three duel involving multihull yachts, unless they can reach an agreement on a traditional regatta involving numerous challengers, something they have so far failed to do.

"We are currently studying various venues that are likely to host the 33rd America's Cup, but we don't have the obligation to reveal it to GGYC up to six months before the competition, that is early August at the earliest," Alinghi said in the letter, dated on Monday May 18.

But the Swiss team said they are not obliged to hold the event in the southern hemisphere under the rules, something contested by Oracle.

Oracle, owned by American software tycoon Larry Ellison, have already been training for a duel since October on a giant trimaran built in the United States while Alinghi, owned by Swiss pharmaceuticals billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, started their training programme late in April.

AFP