"As of today, the final decision has not been made", ACM's Marcus Hutchinson said on Thursday. It will be made soon, and, according to Hutchinson, it will ultimately be made by the three-man steering committee: Bertarelli, Bonnefous and Firmenich, commodore of the Société Nautique de Genève.

"I understand they are going to lock themselves up somewhere in the mountains for two days and scrutinize each bid," said Monteiro de Barros, a former Olympic sailor for Portugal who conceived and is running Lisbon's bid.

While waiting, the four cities are in a turmoil all the time, hoping to convince AC Management in the final rush to the line.

In Valencia, the mayor, Rita Barberá Nolla emphazises the solidity of the Spanish position, guaranteed by the joint effort of the three administrations (the central Government, the Valencia regional Government and the City council).

In Italy, the longtime mayor of Naples and now regional governor of Campania Antonio Bassolino said the agreement, signed this week with the Berlusconi's Government, secures substantial new funds for the Naples' bid.

In France, the Marseille's Municipal Council by a majority of votes has today approved the final agreement with AC Management, with Communists and Greens (les Verts) voting against.

The debates were quite intense as opponents struggled to denounce what they consider to be excessive expenditures in times of tight budgets and to reject
the project to built a new marina at the "Vieux-Port" harbour entrance.

On this last point, Jean-Claude Gaudin declared that the extension of the jetty, "will be reduced by 30%", adjusted to and proportional to the number of envisaged syndicates should be foreseen (17 to 10 said the mayor of Marseille).

At few days before the unveiling ceremony, Marseille annonces that, beyond the announced efforts, the French Government is ready to go further to secure the €235 million budget.

Having already shouldered €40 million of the €123 million capital expenditures program, the Central Government could now help Marseille in the process of securing the €112 million administrative expenditures.

After the French prime minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin gives the go-ahead, a GIP (Groupement d'interêt public, Public Interest Group) will be created to enable a strong implication of the French State and other public authorities (the Regional Council, the General Council of Bouches-du-Rhône and the Marseille City Council).

A very positive operation for the local taxpayers since, as the French Prime minister wrote in his letter to Jean-Claude Gaudin, the GIP will take in charge the administrative expenditures and "at the proper time", will organize the relative share of contributions payable by each members.

A convenient new source of financing for the Marseille's bid.

Spain is pushing hard for the eastern city of Valencia to edge out favourite Lisbon to host the next America's Cup on its historic return to Europe in 2007 ahead of the organisers' decision on November 26.

On 3 October, an agreement was drawn up by the Central Government, the Valencia Regional Government and the City Council of Valencia establishing the guidelines for collaboration among these administrations, creating a consortium called "Consorcio Valencia 2007".

On 31 October, the three administrations ratified the agreement and approved the statutes of the consortium and appointed the representives of each of the administrations to form part of the Governing body and other organs of administration of this newly-created entity.

The consortium is to oversee construction of a canal, which would allow participating yachts to glide out of the port and reach the race area in 15 minutes.

Now and already, the Consell de la Generalitat Valenciana (the Valencian Government) assured it will provide funds amounting to 3 billion euros to this consortium. Gerardo Camps, Councillor of Economy, Income Tax, and Employment, said that money will be immediatly available.

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In Lisbon, the fisherman are happy with the alternatives given in a meeting held last Tuesday with the Minister of Agriculture. The fishing boats will follow now to Trafaria south of the Tagus river and to Doca do Espanhol in Alcântara.

Meanwhile, the Portuguese Government decided to accelerate the deactivation process to comply with the deadlines given by ACM, if Lisbon wins the America’s Cup organization.

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A special meeting of Marseille's Municipal Council will be held on November 14, 2003. Jean-Claude Gaudin, mayor of the City, asked councilors to endorse the final agreement with AC Management.

"This document will make the contractual link between both parties if the Marseille bid is chosen", the Marseille town hall explained in a statement.

Meanwhile, a strong team of Marseille bussiness leaders has launched a campaign and a Website (entreprisesmarseilleamerica.com) to support Marseille's bid.

"We, Marseille Businessmen, are behind our City bid, encouraging the initiative of the Mayor of Marseille and putting our skills and experience at the service of this enormous challenge", explained them in an advertisement. "All the players on the Marseille economic scene want the whole World to know that they are ready to mobilise themselves around this great challenge".

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In Naples, opposition is growing to the City's project on America's Cup as the bid committee has just obtained a very discussed modification of the "piano urbanistico esecutivo di Coroglio-Bagnoli" (local urbanistic plan) to comply with the ACM's requirements.

After an open letter, signed by the World Wildlife Fund, was published on Internet (at WWF Italian Website), the "No Global Network" announced that they were going to carry out a "very hard boycott movement" to ruin the Italian candidature.

"We are against this event and we will conduct a very hard and intransigent campaign", the famous anti-globalisation movement said in a letter given to the regional and communal consortium. "The America's Cup, if it were to take place in Naples, would cause development detrimental to the environment and the expulsion of disadvantage people from certain residential areas".

Nevertheless, the final agreement which will be sent to AC Management will be signed on Thursday at Palazzo Chigi (seat of the Italian Government) between the interested parties (Berlusconi's government, the Campania Region and the City Council of Naples).

AC Management will unveil the identity of the host city for the 32nd America's Cup at a ceremony in Geneva on Wednesday 26th November.

This ceremony will take place at the Hotel President Wilson on the shores of Lake Geneva. Michel Bonnefous, CEO of AC Management, the organising authority for the next event, will outline the vision and the plans for the next America’s Cup as well as explain the first city bid process the America’s Cup has ever known.

Just before noon Pierre-Yves Firmenich, Commodore of the Société Nautique de Genève, will announce the identity of the new Host City.

The ceremony will commence at 11:30 sharp and will be followed by a press conference shortly after noon.

The event is for media and team members only but can be watched live on TSR (Swiss Television). TV images will also be distributed by the EBU (Eurovision) to subscriber channels from 11:30 to 13:00.

The whole ceremony can be watched live on a special America’s Cup Webcast:- details of the link on this site from Monday 17th November.

24 hours after the announcement a second press conference will take place in the new Host City. On the podium beside Michel Bonnefous on this occasion will be municipal and governmental representatives of the new Host City and together they will present the plans for the 32nd America’s Cup.