Mideast host seeks to calm jitters on America's Cup venue

9:48 AM Sun 27 Sep 2009 GMT

'Ras al Khaimah current venue for the 33rd America’s Cup' Click Here to view large photo

No one will mistake this for Valencia.

To reach the site picked for the next America's Cup, swing past the camel racetrack near the airport. Then pass by South Asian groceries and dusty rows of villas under construction.

Finally, turn toward a stretch of the Persian Gulf where the ruling sheiks are building an island shaped a bit like a plant inspired by Dr Seuss.

In a region where sports is routinely pushed to anything-is-possible heights - biggest, richest, most lavish - snagging the venerable America's Cup is something apart even for the United Arab Emirates' outsized visions.

The oldest trophy in international sports is scheduled to be decided this February off a little-known seaport, often called by its initials RAK, that's still very much a work in progress - and so close to Iran that the owner of the US-based entry has talked openly about his security concerns.

But barring major snags, the 158-year-old competition is off to RAK.

'We are ready. We are just waiting for the boats to arrive,' said Khater Massaad, adviser to Ras al-Khaimah's crown prince.

Two-time defending champion Alinghi of Switzerland - holding the winner's right to pick the venue - made the surprise selection of RAK early in August. It sets up a rare, head-to-head series against the American challenger, BMW Oracle Racing.

After the announcement, Alinghi skipper Brad Butterworth - a four-time America's Cup winner - said the steady and warm winter breeze off Ras al-Khaimah reminded him of the Caribbean. His rival, Russell Coutts, said he had to look it up on the map.

Shore development already completed in Ras al Khaimah - 7 August 2009 - Click Here to view large photo

Here's an easy locator tip: find the gulf west of Saudi Arabia, head southeast and stop just before the narrow Strait of Hormuz. Ras al-Khaimah is on the southern shore. Iran's coastline is on the other side less than 130km away.

This is partly what unnerves the owner of BMW Oracle, software mogul Larry Ellison. At an August 11 presentation of his crew and futuristic trimaran in San Diego, Ellison ticked off his worries: proximity to Iranian territorial waters and the overall security for the event.

'So we're all concerned about the safety of our crew and our shore crew and everyone getting set up there,' said the founder and CEO of Oracle.

Whether that's enough to try to fight Alinghi's venue is not yet clear. Ellison, however, warned that BMW Oracle Racing is likely to go back to court over race rules, on-the-water umpires and the jury, citing possible unfair influence by the Alinghi owner, Swiss biotech tycoon Ernesto Bertarelli. Organisers of the RAK venue answer the security questions with a question of their own: how many major terrorist attacks have struck the UAE in the past decades? None.

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by Brian Murphy