10th Dec 2014

Bermuda Venue Ignites America's Cup Excitement

Bermuda is the chosen venue for the 35th America's Cup 2017, kicking off a new era in sailing competition for the island nation as it prepares for the world sailing spotlight. With the announcement come a widening global approach for the America's Cup and a new level of interest in the world's oldest sporting award.

Endpoint of the famed Newport to Bermuda race and blessed with a stunning marine environment, Bermuda presents a compelling but unusual choice for the America's Cup, which is usually hosted in the home country of the team holding the cup - most recently in San Francisco.

The winner of the recently completed 34th Cup, Oracle Team USA, chose to move the competition from San Francisco to Bermuda, providing a breath of fresh air to venue selections and a closer venue for European audiences.

Bermuda has a 400 year affinity to sailing and boasts fantastic and reliable winds that will make for an exciting and highly watchable race series. The Great Sound, a kind of horseshoe bay that encompasses the majority of the island, will serve as the main competition venue, and investments will create an expanded America's Cup Village at the Royal Navy Dockyards, located on the southern end of the island.

The action kicks off in 2015 with the new America's Cup World Series, which enables racing teams to earn placement points leading up to the main competition in June 2017. Beginning in June, races will take place in Bermuda, Gothenburg, Portsmouth and another to be named location, with additional activities in Chicago and the UK coming in 2016.

Currently six teams are set to compete in the America's Cup World Series: Artemis Racing (Sweden), Ben Ainsle Racing (UK), Emirates Team New Zealand (NZ), Team Oracle USA (USA) and Team France (France). An early stage youth competition, the Red Bull Youth America's Cup, also features ten teams for young sailors between the ages of 19 and 23, with teams from China, Korea, the US, and across Europe.