Madrid: Emirates Team New Zealand joined the legal battle for the America's Cup on Thursday, suing Swiss holders Alinghi for delaying the next regatta and for stifling competition for sailing's most coveted prize.
The America's Cup has been mired in court for months since US team BMW Oracle claimed Alinghi set unfair rules for the next Cup with an illegitimate challenger.
The New York Supreme Court found in favour of BMW Oracle although the judge is now hearing other arguments brought by Alinghi and has not made a final ruling.
Emirates Team New Zealand, who lost last year's America's Cup to Alinghi in a thrilling 5-2 series in Valencia, laid similar charges at the Swiss team's door, saying the rules were "completely one-sided".
"They abused their competitive power to stifle other teams," managing director Grant Dalton told Reuters by phone from New York, where Emirates Team New Zealand has lodged its two cases.
Dalton said Emirates Team New Zealand had also asked for financial compensation in the "tens of millions of euros" now that ACM has delayed the next America's Cup indefinitely.
The cases are against Alinghi, its yacht club SNG, its organising body ACM, and its owner Ernesto Bertarelli.
Alinghi said they were disappointed by Emirates Team New Zealand's action, saying they were committed to getting the event back on track.
"These actions are totally without merit, wildly miss the target and will be defended rigorously," Alinghi's legal counsel Lucien Masmejan said in a statement.
