Alinghi face anxious wait on sails

BMW Oracle will triumph in the court room if the sails on Alinghi's catamaran are deemed to be invalid and the America's Cup defenders are prevented from racing.

Competition rules state yachts must be constructed in the country they represent and while Alinghi say their sails were built in Switzerland, challengers BMW Oracle argue they were made in the US.

"BMW Oracle would win the America's Cup in court as without our sails we cannot race," Alinghi team president, Swiss entrepreneur Ernesto Bertarelli, said.

"Should the American justice system outlaw their use, it would be like asking Roger Federer to defend his title without using his tennis racket."

A head-to-head, best-of-three showdown is set to start on Feb. 8 in Valencia but BMW Oracle have asked the New York Supreme Court to rule in a long-running dispute over the validity of the sails on Alinghi's catamaran.