S. F. Bay Area

In a letter from Oracle Team USA’s chief executive and AC Event Authority director Russell Coutts to San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee,  San Francisco is officially out of the race to host the 2017 America’s Cup. His letter does suggest that SF could still possibly be considered as a World Series venue in 2015 and 2016, which would continue the momentum of the spectacular Summer of Sailing in 2013’s 34th America’s Cup and possibly lead into consideration for the 36th America’s Cup.

Though San Diego, Bermuda and Chicago are still contenders, Coutts will reduce the 2017 venue selection from three down to two venues by the end of the month.

Island of Bermuda Now Contender to Host the 2017 America’s Cup

Russell Coutts, ORACLE  TEAM USA chief executive
 ACEA/Oracle

Newport, Rhode Island did not make the cut, nor did Hawaii. Four contenders to host the races remain: San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago and Bermuda.  Why Bermuda? It’s close to the East Coast and Europe for a good time zone value and has a beautiful natural amphitheater setting much like the San Francisco Bay – good for shore and television viewing. Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory (under jurisdiction of the UK), 640 mi. east of North Carolina and 1,110 mi. northeast of Miami. Chicago also is in a better time zone for television viewing for the East Coast and Europe.

Other factors besides the time zone, according to Oracle Team USA chief executive Russell Coutts, include actual public interest in sailing around the venue and opportunities for sponsorships and other commercial activities. (SportBusiness website June 6, 2014 Read more)

San Francisco is still a frontrunner and talks with the City of SF are resuming today, June 6. Though fans were hoping to hear the venue announcement later this month, it may not be announced until the end of the year.

Less money. Less crew. More teams. More excitement. The new protocol has been released and is being assessed by all parties. The new AC62 will be 10 ft shorter than the AC72s but is expected to be just as fast and thrilling to watch.

“The mandate,” according to the AC website, “was to get similar performance from a slightly smaller boat, but one that would be significantly less expensive to design, build and campaign.” Designers calculate the costs to be half that of the AC72s. Costs are also kept down with the new allocation of only 8 crew instead of 11.

Download The Protocol Governing the 35^th America’s Cup

Highlights of Protocol:

• A Three-Year Racing Program 2015-2017, with every race counting towards qualifying for the final AC match.

• At least 6 AC World Series events in 2015 and 2016 raced in the AC45s with opportunities for all entrants to host events.

• An America’s Cup Qualifiers series in 2017 involving all teams, with a bonus point in the AC Match at stake.

• America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs for the top four challenger teams to emerge from the Qualifiers. Challenger moves to Match.

• The America’s Cup Match, featuring the defender, ORACLE TEAM USA against the top challenger- the first to win 7 points wins the America’s Cup.

• Up to two Youth America’s Cup events providing a pathway for young sailors to join the top rank of professionals.

• The new AC62 yacht – a foiling, wing sail catamaran– to be raced in all events in 2017

• A crew nationality rule requiring at least 25% of the AC62 crew to be nationals of the country of their challenge

Oracle  On the Bay – T. Harding

Golden Gate Yacht Club Commodore announces at the King Kamehameha Golf Club in Waikapu that Hawaii may be out of the running as a venue for the 2017 America’s Cup Challenge. That leaves Chicago, Newport, RI, San Diego and San Francisco as contenders. Read more from our friends at MojoSail and tune into the Commodore’s interview with the Maui News.