Tom Ehman, executive vice president for Sail America, the defense syndicate, said that "the deed and cup history are on our side."

Both defense syndicates are cooperating, but they differ on how valuable PACT is over all to their individual efforts.

Citing a "fair sailing" intent in the defense rules, the club demanded that individual defense syndicates "cease and desist."

Two men representing potential defense syndicates were at the news conference.

The three United States defense syndicates, which usually find themselves in the middle of such shoreside frays, are keeping a fairly low profile.

In modern America's Cup racing, two or three defense syndicates usually vie for the right to defend the trophy.

More so for Coutts, who will compete as skipper for the sole defense syndicate, Team New Zealand.

But he expressed concern that the PACT budget might take away sponsorship money that might otherwise go to individual defense syndicates.

The Citizen Cup for the three defense syndicates begins Jan. 12, and the 29th America's Cup starts May 6.

"For us, the mechanics of being a defense syndicate are better, especially since there's such a constrained time period left before the next match."