2013 America's Cup
| 34th America's Cup | |
|---|---|
| Date | September 7–22, 2013 |
| Defender |  Golden Gate Yacht Club |
| Challenger of Record |  Kungliga Svenska Segelsällskapet |
| Winner | TBD |
| Location | San Francisco, California |
| Coordinates | TBA |
| Official Website | http://www.americascup.com/ |
The 34th America's Cup will be sailed in September 2013 in San Francisco, California, with 72-foot (21.9 m) wing-sail catamarans. Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) is the defender of the America's Cup, after their racing team, BMW Oracle Racing defeated the Swiss Alinghi team of Société Nautique de Genève in the 2010 America's Cup. The series will be best of 17 matches.
The Louis Vuitton Cup held July 4 - August 30, 2013, will determine the challenger in the America's Cup.[1]
Contents |
Build Up [edit]
On May 6, 2010, the Defender and the then Challenger of Record, Club Nautico di Roma, held a joint press conference to report on plans for the 34th Cup.[2] The planning process was to include: definition of new rules, an independent management team, definition of a new class of boats created in conjunction with all teams, regular racing in multiple venues and provision for much increased television and online coverage.
Planning Timeline [edit]
Intermediate dates were set on May 6, 2010, which included:
- November 1, 2010 until 31 March 2011 - Challenger registration period
- December 31, 2010 - Notice of Race & Sailing Instructions published
- December 31, 2010 - Venue to be confirmed
- September 7–22, 2013 - 34th America's Cup
Protocol [edit]
The Protocol for the 34th America's Cup was published on September 13, 2010.[3][4] The America's Cup regatta will take place in September 2013.
Boats [edit]
Two new classes of boat were announced. AC72 wing-sail catamarans will be used for the America's Cup races and the AC45 class, a scaled-down one-design version of the AC72 will be used for the preliminary training and racing until boats built to the AC72 rules become available. The amended AC72 Class Rule version 1.1 was published on February 22, 2011.[5]
America's Cup World Series [edit]
In order to increase global awareness and hence attract sponsors for the teams, there will be an America's Cup World Series in 2011-12 and 2012-13. The winner of each annual series will be declared the America's Cup World Series Champion for that season. There will be three regattas in 2011, five in 2012, and two in 2013. Each venue will last for one week and have approximately 6 days of racing, including official practice. Each AC World Series regatta will be a combination of match and fleet racing. Unless sea conditions are too rough, races can take place when the approximate average true wind speed is between 3 and 33 knots. AC45 one-design catamarans will be used for each World Series regatta.
Cost Reduction [edit]
In order to limit costs and hence attract challengers, there will be no-sail periods, where on-the-water boat tuning and crew training will not be allowed, and limits imposed on the number of boats, sails, equipment and support boats which can be used by each team. Crew size for the AC72s will be limited to 11 people.
Despite this, it is still estimated that the cost of mounting a competitive challenge is over US$100 million.[6]
Youth America's Cup [edit]
In addition to using the AC45 catamarans for the initial world series races, they will also be used to introduce the nationality-based 'Youth America's Cup' (YAC). The smaller scaled down AC45 version of the AC72 with similar characteristics to the AC72 will enable younger competition sailors to master the techniques used to sail this style of catamaran before they progress to the AC72 boats. The YAC will begin in 2012. The age category for this event has yet to be released, but if ISAF standards are observed, this would make the cut-off point to be 18 years old.
Venue [edit]
On July 8, 2010, BMW Oracle Racing announced that San Francisco “is the only city in the USA under consideration to host the 34th America's Cup” match.[7] At the time, KGO-TV and Gazzetta dello Sport, an Italian sports newspaper, reported that Rome-Fiumicino, Italy was challenging San Francisco to host the event.[8]
BMW Oracle Racing did confirm that San Diego, Newport[9] and Long Beach were considered earlier as possible venues for this event.
A key parameter in deciding the venue was reliability of the wind and weather patterns so that pre-published television schedules would be virtually guaranteed to show racing rather than suffering endless postponents which was a significant problem for TV audiences watching the 2010 America's Cup. The venue was to be confirmed by December 31, 2010.[2]
In early December 2010, BMW Oracle Racing became concerned that a full and final agreement with San Francisco would not be completed in time to comply with the requirement to announce the location of the cup venue on December 31, 2010. As a result, negotiations were activated with Newport, Rhode Island, as a potential venue for the cup.[10]
On December 31, 2010, San Francisco, California, was officially awarded the right to host the 2013 America's Cup.[11]
Teams [edit]
Twelve yacht clubs applied to challenge the America's Cup before the deadline, though their names were not originally disclosed. They included Club Nautico di Roma (the first challenger of record), Kungliga Svenska Segelsällskapet (the current challenger of record), Aleph Yacht Club (defunct), Yacht Club de France, Club Canottieri Roggero di Lauria (defunct), Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and Měi Fán Yacht Club, soon followed by Real Club Náutico de Valencia. Most of these clubs competed in the AC45 World Series as a result. Late in 2011 Circolo della Vela Sicilia issued a challenge and partnered with Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron so that their teams could share AC72 engineering and research until December 31st, 2012.
On November 26 2010, the former Cup holder Alinghi formally confirmed that it would not participate in the 2013 America's Cup.[12]
On May 12 2011, the Challenger of Record Club Nautico di Roma and their team Mascalzone Latino withdrew from the 2013 America's Cup.[13][14] They were replaced by Kungliga Svenska Segelsällskapet as the Challenger of Record.[15]
On July 24 2011, Club Canottieri Roggero di Lauria failed eligibility for the America's Cup.[16]
On April 3 2012, Aleph Yacht Club withdrew from the AC45 World Series, from the Louis Vuitton Cup and from the America's Cup.
On August 1 2012, Energy Team, headed by Bruno Peyron and Loïck Peyron of France, announced that it would not compete in the 2013 America's Cup.[17]
On August 2, 2012, the America's Cup Event Authority announced that four challenging teams would compete for the right to challenge Oracle Team USA for the America's Cup in September 2013.[18][19]
| Defending Club | |
|---|---|
| Golden Gate Yacht Club |
Oracle Racing |
| Challenging Clubs | |
| Kungliga Svenska Segelsällskapet |
Artemis Racing[20] |
 Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron |
Emirates Team New Zealand |
 Circolo della Vela Sicilia |
Luna Rossa Challenge[21] |
AC 72 Safety [edit]
The power and speed of the catamarans used in the America’s Cup has attracted criticism since the AC72 rule was announced. Sir Keith Mills cancelled his British Team Origin America's Cup campaign in 2011 partially due to concerns over safety.[22] Oracle's first AC72 pitch-polled in October, 2012 after only eight days of sailing. Though there were no injuries to the crew, the yacht was heavily damaged as the tide pulled it outside the bay into the Pacific Ocean. On May 9th 2013 Swedish team Artemis' first AC72 yacht flipped resulting in the death of Olympic medalist Andrew James Simpson.[23] According to media reports structural damage may have been the cause of the accident.[24]
Stephen Barclay, CEO of the America's Cup Event Authority, promised a full inquiry into the events leading to Simpson’s death and appointed a review committee to investigate both the Oracle and Artemis accidents, and to make recommendations for increasing the safety of the sailors.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ Louis Vuitton Cup 2013 Louis Vuitton Cup, 2013-05-22
- ^ a b new vision revealed 34th America’s Cup, 6 May 2010
- ^ "America's Cup transformed by radical changes". Golden Gate Yacht Club. 13 September 2010. Archived from the original on 15 September 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ "The Protocol Governing the 34th America’s Cup". Golden Gate Yacht Club. 13 September 2010. Archived from the original on 22 September 2010. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
- ^ "AC72 Class Rule". 34th America's Cup. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
- ^ Nathan Outteridge becomes latest skipper to depart America’s Cup challenger Team Korea independent.co.uk, 20 September 2012
- ^ America's Cup | Latest News
- ^ San Francisco one step closer to hosting 2013 America's Cup | abc7news.com
- ^ RI emissary has high hopes for America's Cup MercuryNews.com, 22 February 2010
- ^ "America's Cup". New Zealand Herald. June 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2013.[dead link]
- ^ "San Francisco Wins Right to Host 34th America's Cup". Golden Gate Yacht Club. 2010-12-31. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
- ^ "Alinghi announces sailing program". 2010-11-26.
- ^ "Mascalzone Latino says goodbye to the 34° America's Cup". 2011-05-12. Retrieved 2011-05-12.
- ^ "America's Cup: Challenger of Record pulls pin in unprecedented move". 2011-05-12. Retrieved 2011-05-12.
- ^ Swedish yacht club becomes Challenger of Record New Zealand Herald, 18 May 2011
- ^ "Venezia Challenge excused from America's Cup". 2011-07-24.
- ^ "Energy Decides Not to Challenge This Time, Looks Toward 35th Defense". 2012-08-01.
- ^ [1] Field of America's Cup challengers finalized for San Francisco races
- ^ [2] 2013 America’s Cup program includes 55 days of racing/Four challengers entered in Louis Vuitton Cup Defender Trials to determine defense team.
- ^ "Artemis Racing".
- ^ "Luna Rossa Challenge".
- ^ "Andrew Simpson's death sparks America's Cup full investigation over sailing safety fears". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 May 2013.
- ^ http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/09/1-reported-dead-after-america-cup-sailboat-capsizes-in-san-francisco-bay/ 1 reported dead after America's Cup sailboat capsizes in San Francisco
- ^ http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/
External links [edit]
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