VALENCIA, Spain (AP) — America’s Cup organizers say the next regatta will be sailed in 2013 with 72-foot catamarans.
Early indications had been that the 34th America’s Cup would be held in 2014.
But organizers announced Monday the competition will take place a year earlier and will feature a new class of boat — the AC72 with a wingsail catamaran.
The venue won’t be announced until the end of the year. The leading contenders are San Francisco, Valencia and a port near Rome.
The switch from traditional monohulls to catamarans should make for faster, more exciting racing. Catamarans and trimarans have been sailed in the America’s Cup before, but only because of lack of mutual consent for a class rule.
