The San Diego Yacht Club posted Saturday,...

The San Diego Yacht Club posted Saturday, Sept. 3, as the date of the first race of a best-of-three series to defend the America’s Cup with its catamaran against New Zealand’s 124-foot monohull from the Mercury Bay Boating Club.

Dates for the second and third (if needed) races were listed as Sept. 6 and 8. New Zealand has said the first race should be Sept. 19 but has indicated a willingness to adjust to avoid a conflict with the Olympic Games, which run Sept. 17-Oct. 2.

In a letter to Mercury Bay Commodore Toby Morcom, San Diego Commodore Doug Alford and Sail America’s executive vice president, Tom Ehman, also said, “We still propose a match comprising seven races . . . (and) a course identical to that (eight-legged triangular, three-times-around course) used in the last America’s Cup match in Perth.”

But barring any mutual agreement, the defense must be conducted under the terms of the Cup’s Deed of Gift, which calls for a best-of-three series on much longer, once-around courses.