34th America's Cup
Race
About
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 like nothing you've ever seen. As well, the America's Cup World Series will take the racing to venues around the world in each of 2011, 2012 and 2013.
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 before. The AC45 catamarans will be raced in 2011 and into the first months of 2012. They are 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 Racing 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.