Luna Rossa will host the first America’s Cup World Series event in Italy in June 2015. Ben Ainslie Racing will host the second ACWS event in Portsmouth in July. The rest of the schedule is still being negotiated.
Racing will be in one design AC45’s. Luna Rossa, BAR, Artemis and Oracle have all modified AC45’s for foiling, but they will not race those boats, as they are not one design. BAR plans to buy a new AC45 for racing. Presumably Luna Rossa will do the same. Oracle, Team New Zealand and Artemis all have unmodified AC45’s which will be converted for foiling under the one design AC45 Class Rule. Team France plans acquire a foiling one design AC45. Read more about the rules for foiling AC45’s here and about the loophole in the rules here.
Results from the America’s Cup World Series Could Count for the America’s Cup Match
Racing in the America’s Cup World Series will take place in 2015 and 2016 in the foiling one design AC45’s. The ACWS winner and runner up will carry two points and one point respectively into the “America’s Cup Qualifiers” – the round robin series in AC62 catamarans that will begin in early 2017. ACWS results are doubly important, since they will be used to break ties in the America’s Cup Qualifiers. Defender Oracle will race in the America’s Cup Qualifiers – the first time in history that a defender will compete with the challengers to determine which challenger will go to the America’s Cup Match. And, the winner of the America’s Cup Qualifiers (which could be the defender) will begin the America’s Cup Match with one point it they make it to the Match. Read more about the revolutionary scoring format here.
Finalizing the America’s Cup Calendar
Each of the teams wants to host at least one ACWS event. Bermuda has said that they will hold one regardless of whether they are selected as the venue for the America’s Cup Match. The full calendar for 2015 was to have been announced by 1 November 2014 but negotiations with venues are taking longer than planned. The venue for the America’s Cup Match is to be announced by 31 December 2014. The venue for the America’s Cup Qualifiers is to be announced by 15 February 2015. The 2016 ACWS schedule is due by 1 August 2015.
The Venue for the America’s Cup Match
ACEA has reported that the two locations still in contention, Bermuda and San Diego, have both submitted their final proposals, and that the venue will be announced in December. These two locations were shortlisted in July 2014. After months of negotiations and with final proposals submitted, it seems curious that the announcement will not come before December. Stand by for more news in the coming weeks.