Judge orders America's Cup race for March 2009

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The America's Cup match race between holders Alinghi and challenger BMW Oracle is to be held in mid-March of 2009, a New York Supreme Court judge ruled on Monday.

Judge Herman Cahn ordered the showdown race to take place in 10 months' time in Valencia, Spain, or any other location chosen by Alinghi's yacht club SNG (Societe Nautique de Geneve) provided it notifies the challenger at least six months ahead.

The judge said SNG and the challenging Golden Gate Yacht Club "may engage in a mutual consent process" and arrange satisfactory dates, courses and rules for the 33rd America's Cup in accordance with the Deed of Gift governing the event.

Judge Cahn ruled last November that BMW Oracle should be the challengers of record for the next edition of yachting's biggest prize rather than CNEV, the Spanish club favored by Alinghi.

"We are pleased that the Court has advanced the process and required the defender to confirm the venue," Golden Gate Yacht Club spokesman Tom Ehman said. "We will now be considering the order to determine our next steps."

The ruling set up a best-of-three, head-to-head series for the America's Cup rather than the usual multi-boat competition to determine a challenger.

As challenger, BMW Oracle can name the type of boat to be used for the race and they have said they will opt for large-scale multi-hull boats. The challengers were pressing to hold the event in October 2008.

Alinghi argued that the preparation time allowed for in the yachting competition's 121-year-old rules should push the date to May 2009 to give them ample time to get ready.

Lucien Masmejan, lead counsel for Alinghi, said they would ideally prefer to hold the races in July, given that March was not a regular sailing time in the northern hemisphere.

"Not everyone is on holiday then, there is sun, heat and some good winds that you won't have earlier. At the earliest it could be May but ideally July," he said.

Masmejan said that Alinghi were glad to have time to be prepared for the race.

"The decision is very positive because if we would have had to race in October we would have been unable to be ready," he said.

(Reporting by Larry Fine; editing by Miles Evans and Greg Stutchbury)