NEW YORK (AP) — A New York State Supreme Court judge has sided with a U.S. yacht club in an America's Cup dispute, which could force a rare one-on-one showdown for the oldest trophy in international sports.

Judge Herman J. Cahn refused Tuesday to hear new arguments from two-time defending champion Alinghi, letting stand his order in November that San Francisco's Golden Gate Yacht Club was the rightful Challenger of Record, not a Spanish club that had been chosen by the Swiss. Golden Gate backs BMW Oracle Racing, which is headed by Silicon Valley maverick Larry Ellison.

Neither yacht club was immediately available for comment. However, the cup could be decided in a showdown between Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing in catamarans later this year.