December 3, 2014 By Jack Griffin

Plans for 2017 America’s Cup in Bermuda

Plans for the 2017 America’s Cup in Bermuda were revealed by Premier Michael Dunkley at New York City press conference on December 2, 2014. The event village will be built in the South Basin of the Royal Naval Dockyard, just north of the race course on the Great Sound. All the team bases will be located together and will give visitors a “pit row” experience. Renderings of the site showed superyacht moorings just north of the Event Village. A dramatic, floating concert venue was shown in renderings of the North Basin, which already has a pier for cruise ships.

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Bermuda residents Catherine Zeta Jones and Michael Douglas attended the press conference. Premier Dunkley told the audience that they will soon break ground on a major new hotel in Bermuda.

Since the Dockyard already houses the Bermuda Maritime Museum and the cruise ship pier, there is a ferry service from Hamilton, which will no doubt be expanded for the America’s Cup.

Premier Dunkley encouraged all America’s Cup fans to come to Bermuda for a warm welcome with British charm and island culture.

Full replay of America’s Cup press conference

America’s Cup Commercial Commissioner and Bermuda Premier Michael Dunkley

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November 26, 2014 By Jack Griffin

America’s Cup Press Conference – December 2, 2014

America’s Cup Event Authority has called a press conference in New York City on December 2, 2014 to announce formally the venue for the 2017 America’s Cup, widely reported to be Bermuda.

What else might be announced at this press conference?

Dates for the America’s Cup Match: the Match might be scheduled to end by early July, to avoid TV conflicts with American football and other sports. Dates for the “America’s Cup Qualifiers,” the “America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs” and for the earliest launch of the AC62 catamarans are all driven from the date of the Match. It’s complicated, but I have summarized the process here.
News about the unloved separate venue for the “America’s Cup Qualifiers” – the round robin phase of the challenger selection series and the first racing in AC62 catamarans. The Protocol calls for two venues – one for this phase and a separate venue, now known to be Bermuda, for the America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs (semi-finals and finals of challenger selection) and the America’s Cup Match. The challengers have said they want all of the AC62 racing in the same venue. The Protocol does not require the America’s Cup Qualifiers venue or dates to be announced until February 15, 2015, but maybe we will learn something next Tuesday in New York.
Are there any additional challengers? Jimmy Spithill, Ben Ainslie and others have said that they expect at least one more challenger. Although the Entry Period closed on August 8, 2014, the Protocol allows Golden Gate Yacht Club to accept late entries. There have been rumors of a Portuguese-flagged team with Italian backing, and of a Chinese-flagged team.
Has a Regatta Director been appointed?
Racing Rules: these were to have been issued by November 1, 2014.
Challenger Committee replaces the Challenger of Record. This is described in the second amendment to the Protocol. The Protocol with Amendment 2 is available here.
Changes to the dates when teams must pay their entry fees and give their performance bonds. The Protocol has been changed so that a non-refundable entry fee of $100,000 is due on December 1, 2014 with the remaining $900,000 due May 1, 2015. Remember that they already paid a first non-refundable installment of $1 million with their entry last August. In addition, there is a refundable $1 million Performance Bond which has also been delayed until 1 May 2015.
Dates and host cities for the Youth America’s Cup. Announcement due by December 31, 2014 according to the Protocol.

November 26, 2014 By Jack Griffin

America’s Cup World Series: 4 Venues – So Far…

Update: 21 April 2014 Cagliari America’s Cup World Series cancelled

More info here and here.

As we predicted earlier this month (November 2014), the America’s Cup World Series will kick off in June in Italy. Four America’s Cup World Series regattas have been scheduled in 2015 so far:

Cagliari, Italy – June 5-7
Portsmouth, UK – July 23-26
Gothenburg, Sweden – August 28-30
Hamilton, Bermuda – October 16-18

Will Oracle Team USA, Emirates Team New Zealand and Team France organize ACWS events in 2015? Perhaps we will find out at the ACEA press conference in New York on December 2.

America’s Cup World Series Racing Format

Each event plans to have practice racing on Friday and two scoring races per day on Saturday and Sunday. This is fleet racing only – no match racing – in one design foiling AC45 catamarans. All the racing in both 2015 and 2016 will be counted together. Final rankings will affect the challenger selection (America’s Cup Qualifiers and America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs) and possibly the America’s Cup Match itself. More info on scoring here.

Artemis Racing’s video to announce the 2015 ACWS in Gothenburg

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November 21, 2014 By Jack Griffin

Cammas Convinced that Team France Will Be Competitive

A recent interview with Franck Cammas showed both his Gallic charm and his fierce determination to be competitive in the 2017 America’s Cup.

How’s your French?

Watch the interview (in French) and read my partial transcript / translation here.

Interviewer Yves Calvi: “There’s something that I like about you – I’d say, like the americans – you’re obsessed by winning. That’s far from de Coubertin, who said the important thing is to participate. Does that mean anything to you?”

Franck Cammas: “Sure, but I think rewards are worth the effort of giving yourself everything you need to win. Lots of people can get to the starting line, but for us, the difference is we want to win, to finish ahead of the others. That’s the pleasure – not to beat the others but to have done well what we set out to do.”

At about 5:20, when Calvi asks what his goal is now, Cammas explains how he has set and reached goals and that he now has his sights set on the America’s Cup.

Franck Cammas:

“Each goal attained has been a dream. For my first Figaro, I dreamed of getting to the start. Then I dreamed of winning it and I won. My next dream is to compete in the America’s Cup… It’s marvellous and at the same time it’s very difficult. You need money but above all you need good people. I’m with Desjoyeaux and de Kersauson. We’ve got a strong desire to compete together under the French banner to show that the French can be very, very competitive in this type of competition. I’m convinced of it.”

November 21, 2014 By Jack Griffin

Airbus in America’s Cup with Oracle

Rumors of an Airbus sponsorship for Team France for the 35th America’s Cup flew away as Oracle Team USA announced that the US-flagged team has partnered with the French headquartered aerospace company. Watch the announcement video and get the details here

Team France Reacts to Airbus Partnering with Oracle Team USA

In July, French sailor and “Voiles et Voiliers” blogger Loïc LeBras reported that Franck Cammas’s America’s Cup challenger, Team France, was in advanced negotiations with with a major European aerospace company. Although I and many others assumed it was Airbus, apparently it was another company. Team France responded gracefully, issuing this statement:

“The partnership between Oracle Team USA and Airbus shows how French skills and know-how in composites and more generally in high technology are at the forefront. This only reinforces our belief in the ability of a French team to win at last the most important sailing event in the world.”