<div><p>The next America's Cup will be held in the Spanish port of Valencia in February as desired by US team Oracle, the Supreme Court of the State of New York ruled on Tuesday.</p><p>The court unanimously upheld an earlier order that under the rules of the race the Persian Gulf port Ras al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates could not host the multihull duel as proposed by defending Swiss champions Alinghi, according to a copy of the ruling obtained by AFP.</p><p>The face-off between the two sides is slated to start on February 8.</p><p>It was originally set to be a best-of-three event but both Oracle and Alinghi have indicated recently they are open to a five-leg or seven-leg competition.</p><p>Oracle's giant trimaran with its new fixed-wing sail has already been shipped to Valencia from its base in San Diego in California while Alinghi's catamaran is expected to depart Ras al-Khaimah for Spain shortly.</p><p>"This is a big stride forward. In place of doubt and delay, the sailing world wants certainty. It wants to see this contest to go-ahead soon and be contested under fair rules," Oracle spokesman Tom Ehman said in a statement.</p><p>Alinghi said it would accept the ruling but it once again accused Oracle of trying "to win the America?s Cup in court instead of on the water".</p><p>"For the first time in the history of the America?s Cup the Defender has been stripped of its fundamental right to select the venue," Alinghi's vice-commodore, Fred Meyer, said in a statement.</p><p>Alinghi and Oracle, owned respectively by Swiss biotech billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli and American computer billionaire Larry Ellison, have been locked in a legal battle over the event since the Swiss syndicate won the last edition in Valencia in 2007.</p><p>Oracle first launched a legal challenge that accused Alinghi, which as defending champion is charged with organising the next event, of bending the rules to give it an unfair advantage in 2007.</p><p>The New York Supreme Court ruled in April that the Cup should be settled by a one-on-one multihull duel between the two sides next February instead of the traditional fully-fledged regatta with several teams.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=65486743&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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