Alinghi is prepared to return to court to settle a dispute over the date of the next America's Cup race.

Swiss champions and BMW Oracle said they failed Wednesday to agree on a date for their multihull duel that is to decide the next America's Cup. Then, the New York Supreme Court might have to decide the issue.

The court last week backed Oracle in its legal challenge to Alinghi over the rules, setting the stage for a rare multihull face-off between the two sides -- rather than a traditional regatta -- to decide the oldest trophy in international sport.

However the two syndicates are still wrangling over the dates of the event, with Alinghi preferring July 2009 and the American team insisting on October 2008.

Alinghi, which won the cup for a second time last July, said it was "disappointed" with the outcome of the Geneva talks.

The dispute "is likely to go back to court", said Lucien Masmejan, lead counsel for the defending yacht club. "We will use all avenues open to us to ensure that they are forced to compete in a competitive race in the spirit and tradition of the America’s Cup."

"GGYC adopted the same approach that it took last year coming to the meeting with a fixed position rather than to discuss and find a resolution in accordance with Justice Cahn’s Order", he added. Larry Ellison "is forcing us to race in '08, which is not a race, it's just a formality to give him the cup".

Golden Gate Yacht Club spokesman Tom Ehman said he was surprised that Alinghi was already looking to go back to court, saying it was another delay tactic.

"There was not much progress" in the talks, he said. "They didn't offer us anything. They tried to give us a justification as to why May 1 or why sometime after that is suitable".

"Our clear view is that the sooner we can race, the sooner we can get the cup back on track", he told AFP, adding its team has already begun building a trimaran in the United States in preparation for the race.

"There's nothing that says they can't build a boat in time for October,» Ehman concluded. "For all we know they've already designed and built one. Nothing in the rules say they have to build a new boat either. They are very smart sailors with a lot of experience who would be fine."