Your Move, Larry

With an 11-0 vote, San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors approved the Host City Agreement for America’s Cup 34 yesterday, and Mayor Gavin Newsom promptly signed it. What is unclear is whether the agreement — which is sigificantly different from what was orginially negotiated between the City and BMW Oracle Racing — will satisfy Larry Ellison and Russell Coutts. What is absolutely clear is that this nearly year-long chess game between the City and the team has come full circle and it’s now Ellison’s move with the clock ticking. The team had set a deadline of Friday for the City to come up with a suitable agreement. While we’d like to think a thumbs-up-or-down announcement from the team will be forthcoming in short order, the reality is that Ellison has until December 31 to make up his mind, and has reportedly solicited 11th-hour bids from other cities. So stay tuned, this process might go down to the final moments.