Hopes appear to have faded for an early and peaceful end to legal action over sailing's America's Cup.
The yacht club representing the Russell Coutts-led BMW Oracle team says it won't accept pre-conditions laid down by the cup defender, and will now focus on resolving the legal stand-off in a New York court early next year.
San Francisco's Golden Gate Yacht Club is taking a final appeal against a court ruling which overturned its bid to have the next America's Cup regatta declared invalid.
It proposed instead to have the trophy decided in a head-to-head battle with Swizterland's Alinghi in big multi-hulled boats.
The Americans had offered to drop the legal action if it could be convinced that new rules proposed by the Swiss were fair, but rejected a condition that BMW Oracle would first have to take part in a Swiss-organised regatta.
