For the past few years, the America’s Cup has been better known for legal battles than as a sporting event, but that wasn’t the first time in its history that it degenerated into a power game between very wealthy people. Since Larry Ellison’s Oracle team won the cup, the defender and the challengers are in general agreement about the boats and the way the races will be run, but that doesn’t mean there have been no battles. Ellison has ambitious plans to turn the America’s Cup into a year-round commercial sport, and this has led to tough negotiations with San Francisco for the venue and with the TV companies for coverage.
The America’s Cup is the oldest active trophy in international sport. What makes it different  … More