The AC45. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/www.americascup.com
by Stephanie Martin
With final venue bids under review, the America’s Cup Event Authority (ACEA) released the inaugural America’s Cup World Series (AC World Series) dates. The first half of the AC World Series will consist of five nine-day regattas in 2011, finishing up with three more regattas by mid-2012. The winning host cities for the 2011-2012 AC World Series will be revealed in the coming weeks.
“We are incredibly pleased with the potential choices we have before us, with venues that offer the kind of up-close action that fans want to see,” said Richard Worth, Chairman, ACEA. “We are finalizing our slate now. We feel very confident that each America’s Cup World Series event will be first-class, creating a real foundation for future editions of the circuit.”
The AC World Series venue assessment process has focused on the ability of prospective host sites to provide the infrastructure and support needed to stage a superior event on and off the water. Tens of thousands of fans are expected to watch in person at each venue.
The AC World Series is a regular circuit of eight regattas that will bring America’s Cup-level racing and the America’s Cup experience to top international venues. Televised to expose millions more fans to the sport of high-performance sailing, the AC World Series will feature both fleet and match racing at each event. At the end of each AC World Series season, a champion will be crowned. These regattas provide the fans the only opportunity to see all of the America’s Cup competitors racing together.
The 2011-2012 AC World Series will be sailed in the AC45, the forerunner to the next generation of America’s Cup boats. The boat was launched to great acclaim in New Zealand last month. Focused on creating more on-the-water excitement for both the teams and the fans, the AC45 wing-sailed catamaran was designed for both speed and close racing. While capable of closing speeds of up to 30 knots, the AC45 remains nimble enough to handle the tight, tactical race courses planned by America’s Cup Race Management (ACRM).
The 2012-2013 season will be sailed in the larger and faster America’s Cup boats, the AC72, and its champion will be crowned just prior to the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup (America’s Cup Challenger Series) in July 2013. This AC World Series will also enable all teams seeking to compete in the America’s Cup Finals in September 2013 to be race-ready for the AC72.
2011-2012 America’s Cup World Series Schedule*
Event One: 16 – 24 July
Event Two: 13 - 21 August
Event Three: 17 – 25 September
Event Four: 15 – 23 October
Event Five: 10 – 18 December
Event Six: 17 – 25 February, 2012
Event Seven: 14 – 22 April, 2012
Event Eight: 19 – 27 May, 2012
*Dates are subject to change
America's Cup
