At the end of March two protagonists in a bitter court battle that had gone on for two years agreed a truce in the American courts. The case concerned the staging and conduct of the 2010 America’s Cup yacht race and involved two of the world’s richest men representing two high-profile yacht clubs in the USA and Switzerland.

The America’s Cup is the most prestigious yacht race in the world, yet this round in the on-going competition was seen by most as a side show to the series of high-level court cases involving just about every aspect of the race: who could take part, what the boats could be made of and where the material should come from.

Much of the controversy concerned the construction of the wing sail on the American challenger BMW Oracle.

In a statement the Golden Gate Yacht Club said: “An agreement has been reached with the previous America’s Cup Trustee, Société Nautique de Genève, that all outstanding litigation in the New York courts concerning the recent 33rd match will be dropped by both sides.”

The club’s Commodore, Marcus Young, said: “In place of controversy, we seek consensus. Instead of continuing argument, we are pleased to have reached agreement.”

“Good decisions not hasty decisions – this is what the cup community wants,” added Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW ORACLE Racing. “Our focus is on looking ahead and making the 34th edition of the oldest trophy in international sports the best America’s Cup yet.”

Discussions will continue over the next six months with the details of the 34th Cup confirmed during 2010.

“We will do our best to fulfill Larry Ellison’s vision of a competition which respects the Cup’s unique tradition whilst moving forward with the latest technology to attract an even wider audience,” commented Coutts.

And the race, if anybody was still interested? BMW Oracle won by two races to nil against the holder Alinghi 5, obviating the need for a third.