Russell Coutts, CEO of BMW ORACLE Racing, unveiled a new vision for the future of the America’s Cup today at a press conference at the team’s base in Valencia.
Coutts was joined by Vincenzo Onorato, President of the Challenger of Record syndicate Mascalzone Latino, in announcing that the next craft for the 34th America’s Cup will be a high-performance, wingsail catamaran known as the AC72.
Other new developments include the formation of an America’s Cup World Series to bring Cup racing to new shores and audiences beginning next year, the creation of the AC45, a scaled-down wingsail catamaran intended to acquaint monohull sailors with multihull racing, and the Youth America’s Cup, which will begin in 2012.“It’s very exciting,” said Murray Jones (right), afterguard member of BMW ORACLE Racing. “The boats are going to be very physical – grinding the sails and the daggerboards up and down in tacks is a real challenge. It’s going to get everyone thinking of new ways to do things. And it’s going to be exciting for the young sailors. It’s good to give them an avenue into the game.”
Today’s announcement of the Protocol, class of boat and year of the match cements three of the four cornerstones for the next event. The final piece, the venue, is scheduled to be announced by the end of the year.
For more information, please visit the America’s Cup website.
