The America’s Cup World Series is a professional circuit that brings America’s Cup-level racing and the America’s Cup experience to top international venues. It is an extreme experience – cutting edge wing-sailed catamarans flying at speeds over 30 miles per hour, and a mix of fleet and match racing to test the abilities of the best sailing teams in the world.
There are two seasons of the AC World Series – the 2011-12 AC World Series concludes on July 1, 2012 in Newport, Rhode Island, and the 2012-13 AC World Series stops in San Francisco, Venice and Naples, concluding in May 2013 – prior to the beginning of the 34th America’s Cup events in San Francisco in July 2013. At the end of the each AC World Series circuit, a series champion is crowned based on their cumulative scores from each event.
The first winner of the 2011-12 AC World Series was ORACLE TEAM USA Spithill, who were crowned season champion at the final event in Newport, Rhode Island on July 1. Emirates Team New Zealand was second overall, with Artemis Racing third. While Spithill’s team was also top of the table in Fleet Racing, Terry Hutchinson’s Artemis Racing won the Match Racing for the season.
The second AC World Series starts in San Francisco from August 21-26 and marks the first time the teams will race in the host city of the 34th America’s Cup. This is followed by a second San Francisco event in the first week of October.
The second season of the AC World Series also sees the challengers for the 34th America’s Cup collect points towards a Louis Vuitton Ranking which will confer an advantage at the beginning of the Louis Vuitton Cup in July 2013.
The America’s Cup World Series is a professional circuit that brings America’s Cup-level racing and the America’s Cup experience to top international venues. It is an extreme experience – cutting edge wing-sailed catamarans flying at speeds over 30 miles per hour, and a mix of fleet and match racing to test the abilities of the best sailing teams in the world.
There are two seasons of the AC World Series – the 2011-12 AC World Series concludes on July 1, 2012 in Newport, Rhode Island, and the 2012-13 AC World Series stops in San Francisco and Naples, concluding in May 2013 – prior to the beginning of the 34th America’s Cup events in San Francisco in July 2013. At the end of the each AC World Series circuit, a series champion is crowned based on their cumulative scores from each event.
The first winner of the 2011-12 AC World Series was ORACLE TEAM USA – SPITHILL, who were crowned season champion at the final event in Newport, Rhode Island on July 1. Emirates Team New Zealand was second overall, with Artemis Racing third. While Spithill’s team was also top of the table in Fleet Racing, Terry Hutchinson’s Artemis Racing won the Match Racing for the season.
The second AC World Series starts in San Francisco from August 21-26 and marks the first time the teams will race in the host city of the 34th America’s Cup. This is followed by a second San Francisco event in the first week of October.
The second season of the AC World Series also sees the challengers for the 34th America’s Cup collect points towards a Louis Vuitton Ranking which will confer an advantage at the beginning of the Louis Vuitton Cup in July 2013.
The Louis Vuitton Cup, the America’s Cup Challenger Series, is used as the selection series to determine who will race the Defender in the America’s Cup Finals. Scheduled for July 4 – September 1, 2013 on the San Francisco Bay, the Louis Vuitton Cup will see challengers from around the globe battle each other in a knockout series for the opportunity to compete for the America’s Cup.
Significantly, 2013 marks the 30th anniversary of the first Louis Vuitton Cup, which took place in Newport, Rhode Island in 1983. It was an auspicious debut, as the winner of the first Louis Vuitton Cup, Australia II, went on to become the first challenger in the 132-history of the America’s Cup to beat the defender and take the Cup from the United States.
From that beginning, it’s clear that the Louis Vuitton Cup serves dual purposes – first to determine who will advance to the America’s Cup Finals, but also to prepare the Challenger to race on level terms with the Defender. Prior to the first Louis Vuitton Cup in 1983, no challenger had ever found success in unseating the US-based defender. But following that first win by Australia II, the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup has gone on to claim the America’s Cup four out of seven times.
Will this trend continue in San Francisco in 2013?
The 34th America’s Cup brings the competition for the oldest trophy in international sport back to the United States for the first time in 18 years. And it does so in style, with exciting new boats, a new format for the racing, and television and web coverage that takes the viewer into the racing as never before.
There are two new classes of boats; both will be more powerful, more demanding of the crews and faster than anything seen at the America’s Cup to date. The AC45 catamarans will be raced in the America’s Cup World Series regattas. They have been designed to give new teams an opportunity to learn wing-sailed multihulls as they design and build their own AC72 – the revolutionary catamarans that will be raced in the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup in 2013.
“We believe this new format and new boat will put the America’s Cup back at the pinnacle of our sport,” said ORACLE TEAM USA CEO Russell Coutts, in announcing the changes in September 2010. “They will give equal opportunity to competitors and long-term economic stability to all teams and all commercial partners. We promised fairness and innovation and this is what we’ve delivered.”
Bringing the racing to the people is a new priority. In addition to near-shore race courses for those on site, television coverage is set to be revolutionized for those further afield. Through new graphics technology, enhanced on board footage, over a dozen on board microphones as well as informed and exciting commentary, watching the story of the 34th America’s Cup unfold on TV might just be better than being there to see it in person.
Similarly, the online offering will take advantage of the very latest the web has to offer to develop the characters behind the teams and bring the story alive, anytime, anywhere.
In 2013, the race for the America’s Cup will reach its zenith in San Francisco, the host city of the 34th America’s Cup. The spectacular natural amphitheater of San Francisco Bay will be the site of the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger selection series as well as the America’s Cup Finals.
For the first time in the history of the America’s Cup, young, talented sailors have a clear pathway towards competing for one of the most prestigious trophies in sport. The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup opens the door for young sailors to gain the experience they need to contribute to a Cup team.
Racing will take place in the same high performance, wing-sailed AC45 catamarans that are used in the America’s Cup World Series. The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup is scheduled for August/September 2013, in San Francisco, during the heart of the 34th America’s Cup racing season.
The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup is open to national teams of six sailors, aged 19 to 24 in 2013. Each crew must hold a valid passport of the country their team represents. Equipment, including the AC45 platform and wing, will be supplied to teams who have their entry accepted.
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