Oracle skipper Russell Coutts has urged defending America's Cup champions Alinghi to negotiate a solution to a legal dispute that is threatening the next edition in Spain in 2009.

"We were obviously surprised," New Zealand's Coutts, a triple America's Cup winner, told AFP by telephone from Valencia where the next America's Cup is set to be held. He said it would be "very easy" to fix the rules to make them more fair by "sitting around a table and negotiating face to face", something which Swiss syndicate Alinghi has so far refused to do.

Coutts wants a change, but not if it comes with a competitive disadvantage.

"We have nothing to work with. Nothing detailed enough to build with", the Kiwi skipper said. "The change of boat is a great rule, but we're against one team having extra access to information and an advantage. It's probably such an advantage that nobody can catch up".

Desafio has called a challengers meeting next week to discuss the protocol, with several more teams ready to enter once the dispute is over.

Until then, Coutts said the team will continue with the courts unless Alinghi comes to the table. "Nobody has come out and said this is a great protocol so far," he said. "Nobody".