America's Cup

According to the announced schedule, the initial news concerning the 34th America's Cup were due by August 31st. The Press Conference has been delayed to September 13, when Russell Coutts NZL will present the details on boat, date and protocol at the BMW/Oracle base in Valencia. However, the French sailing magazine Voiles et Voiliers seems to know the details: the 34th Challenge will be sailed in 2014 in San Francisco on 72 ft catamarans with wing sails. The article in French and the official website of the 34th Cup.

Last week, Russell Coutts NZL explained the present situation in the America's Cup planning in an extensive 21-minutes interview in TVNZ. Whereas the City of San Francisco is desperately trying to solve the infrastructure problems in the Bay Area to host the club on the GGYC home waters, the defender BMW/Oracle together is evaluating designs for mono- and multihulls, course formats and communication techniques. All relevant decisions, venue and cup organisation, shall be made publich this year at the latest. The interview.

San Francisco officials are moving quickly to acquire an exemption to state environmental law in time for a deadline to submit a proposal on hosting the next America's Cup, The Chronicle has learned. "Without this legislative action, it is likely that San Francisco will not be selected and the regatta will be held overseas," said a recent memo from Mayor Gavin Newsom's office that was used to brief environmentalists on the proposal, which would cover shoreside facilities for yachts, gear and support services. Some environmental groups, while appreciative that city officials sought their input, warn that an exemption would open the floodgates for wealthy interests to circumvent state-required environmental review. "We're not going to sit by idly and let that happen," said Tina Andolina, legislative director for the Planning and Conservation League, an environmental lobbying group. Read the full story.
[Ed. note: Are we alone with the hunch that the good folks in California could muck up the Cup's return to the US?]