Australia is back as an America's Cup challenger, with holders the Golden Gate Yacht Club confirming the Hamilton Island Yacht Club will contest the 35th edition of the race as the official challenger of record.
Australian winemaker Bob Oatley and son Sandy submitted an official challenge with Oracle Team USA, owned by Larry Ellison, as soon as Oracle beat Team New Zealand last week.
The challenge papers are believed to have been lodged with an official for the Golden Gate Yacht Club with which Oracle Team USA is registered and which, under competition law, is the official Cup holder.
Bob Oatley, whose America's Cup interest has apparently grown in recent years, attended last week's Sydney lunch to mark the 30th anniversary of the America's Cup triumph by Alan Bond's Australia II.
Oatley has had a succession of yachts named Wild Oats which have dominated ocean racing in Australia for years, including having won six of the last eight Sydney-Hobart races.
Australia was last involved in a challenger series for the America's Cup in Auckland in 2000 when James Spithill skippered the Young Australia boat.
Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker's welcomed the return of an Australia syndicate.
But Barker says his outfit's greater concern is the venue, timing and class of yacht to be raced, which have still to be announced.
The dates, type of boat, format and rules will be negotiated by challenger of record and the defender, while the defender alone decides the venue.
Barker says Team New Zealand would welcome cutting costs and having multiple challengers, which both challenger and defender say they want.
The Golden Gate Yacht Club and Hamilton Island Yacht Club expect to have a protocol including dates, venue, boats and other details, agreed and published in the first few months of next year.
