The Golden Gate Yacht Club officially challenged Alinghi for the next America's Cup.

On Thursday, the U.S. club hand-delivered its notice of intention to race to the Société Nautique de Genève, home of Alinghi, believing that the "official challenger of record" - Club Nautico Español de Vela of Valencia - will be nullified since the Spanish club does not qualify.

Golden Gate argued that the CNEV, home of Desafío Español, had never held an annual regatta and was essentially a new yacht club specifically set up for this challenge.

"The challenging yacht club (must) conduct an annual regatta on an arm of the sea," a Golden Gate statement said. "CNEV has never conducted a regatta of any kind and thus cannot be a legitimate cup challenger."

The Americans believe the Deed of Gift, the competition's governing document, will allow them to take Desafío Español's place in negotiating the format of the competition, just as it did for the 32nd edition.

"GGYC threw its hat into the ring now because it wants to be ready to assume that role should the Spanish challenge be struck out as being invalid," BMW Oracle Racing spokeswoman Jane Eagleson said.

The Société Nautique de Genève refused to comment or confirm that the challenge had been delivered.

CNEV said there were precedents in the 156-year history of the Cup of a new club challenging and a protocol being signed with neither a time nor a place set for the next event. It argued the deed doesn't say whether a regatta has to be held before or after the signing of the protocol.

"With this in mind, the CNEV has already organized two regattas for the end of July in Santander," Desafío Español said in a statement.

After Alinghi won the 32nd America's Cup last week, Desafío Español signed a protocol for the next event with newly-established Club Nautico Espanol de la Vela (CNEV) , agreeing to race in bigger boats. They did not set exact yacht design rules, a time or a place.

"The Alinghi Protocol for the 33rd Americas Cup alters the very nature of the competition giving unprecedented and unfair advantages to the Defender," GGYC said in a statement on Thursday. "Without the basic elements of regatta venue, date and boat design rules as required by the Deed of Gift (which governs the America's Cup), the Alinghi Protocol provides no opportunity for a fair and equitable competition."

Alinghi announced the first change in boat class since 1992 for the next edition, but has until Dec. 31 to set construction specifics, rules and dates for the warm-up regattas.

With Alinghi owner Ernesto Bertarelli in talks with officials to return the event to Valencia by 2009 and his own design team already at work on a new boat, the challengers will be left with 18 months to prepare for the 33rd edition.

The GGYC Challenge is of a similar type, to that issued by Mercury Bay Boating Club in 1987, which complies with the minimum requirements for a Match if 'the parties cannot mutually agree on the terms for a match' which are for the event to take place within ten months between 1st November and 1st May and for the yachts to be of 90ft on the load waterline if 'of one mast'.

However as is clear in the GGYC statement the club wishes to establish mutual consent for the 33rd America's Cup, which would see the event revert to a Challenger's trophy, rather than have complete control over the event, including the Challenger Selection Series, placed in the hands of the Defender. The Golden Gate YC then attached a 'bona fide' challenge and demanded recognition as the legitimate Challenger of Record for the 33rd America's Cup.

To comply with the Deed of Gift they set 4 July 2008 as the date of the first race, and they also attached as required the name, rig and specified dimensions of the challenging vessel.