Bermuda Shortlisted For 2017 America’s Cup

May 15, 2014

Bermuda has been shortlisted in its bid to host the 2017 America’s Cup, which is widely considered one of the world’s most prestigious sailing competitions.

The Island is now one of four locations being considered by the America’s Cup Event Authority, which is the organizing body for the Cup’s 35th competition, the world’s oldest international sailing trophy.

Bermuda’s bid to host the competition started in March following an invitation from the Authority to place a bid.

“This is a great opportunity for Bermuda on many levels,” Premier Craig Cannonier said. “The America’s Cup is a spectacular sporting event attracting worldwide attention, generating business, jobs and extensive television exposure for the host location.

Video report on last year’s America’s Cup:

The Premier added, “It is a great opportunity to showcase Bermuda on the world stage – our people, our island, our rich maritime heritage, our way of life.

“I want to commend the work of the bid team put together by Dr. Grant Gibbons, the Minister of Education and Economic Development. They worked fast and hard to put together an impressive bid document in a short period of time. Their work will continue as we continue to pursue this remarkable opportunity.”

Representatives of the America’s Cup Event Authority visited the Island in March to inspect possible event locations and racecourses in The Great Sound.

Following the invitation to bid for the race, Dr. Gibbons organized a small bid team with representatives from the private sector, the Bermuda Government and the Bermuda Tourism Authority.

“The team worked flat-out for three weeks to put together an extraordinary bid document that we submitted to the Authority,” Dr. Gibbons said. “We were subsequently informed that Bermuda had been moved to the second round in which our bid would be considered against three other locations.

“Our team is now in the process of working with the America’s Cup Event Authority to secure corporate sponsorships, which are a prime requirement in determining the successful final bid.”

In the next month or so, the Authority will narrow the selection to just two possible locations, with the final decision by September.

If Bermuda is successful in being selected as one of two final locations, it will be assured a World Series event, which is part of the challenger series for the Cup, regardless of whether it is ultimately successful in its bid to host the finals.

Dr. Gibbons said the America’s Cup interest in Bermuda was an “extraordinary honour,” reflecting the many attributes that make the Island special.

“I was proud of the fact that our submission made clear that our bid was coming from the Island as a whole not just a town or city, and that Bermuda’s history showed our ability as a people to unite behind historical moments and opportunities.

“Our bid addressed Bermuda’s attributes for hosting such an event and highlighted the Island’s maritime heritage, including the fact that the Bermuda rig revolutionized sailing and continues in use today.

“It was a presentation, in short, that emphasized the fact that Bermuda is an island with a proud maritime legacy providing a spectacular setting for such an international event.

“The Premier and I look forward to keeping Bermuda updated on the work to secure this extraordinary opportunity,” added Dr. Gibbons.

Read More About

Category: All, News, Sports

Comments (38)

Trackback URL | Comments RSS Feed

  1. Commodore JB says:

    This is fantastic news for the yachting community here in Bermuda. My club and I will be ready to welcome all the yachtsmen and yachtwomen!

    • Talbot Wilson says:

      Go Bermuda
      It was an honor to be part of the bid team

    • Seaman Double M says:

      Commodore JB, please ensure that there is bountiful supplies of Amsterdam Larger available for the yachtsmen, and copious amounts of Budweiser for the Americans.

      • Ghost Prime says:

        Gentlemen:

        You underestimate we Yanks if you think the discriminating Yank drinks budweiser. America now has craft brewery’s all across the country, and they make as good a beer as any English or Irish beer ever made. Try one Dirty B@$t@rd Ale from Founders Brewing and you will know what I mean.

        And 3 cheers to Bermuda for winning the AC! I can’t wait to visit again.

  2. Triangle Drifter says:

    Best of luck to Bermuda. If it happens this would exceed by far any other sporting event ever held here in terms of benefits overall to the Island.

    • Hang up the phone and call again says:

      I think the triathlons back in the 90s generated more interest, especially since it was annual. That was, until, the churches put an end to it.

      • Franklin jr says:

        Really? how much do you know about the AC? clueless muppet

        • Hang up the phone and call again says:

          Franklin, I’m all for the AC, but keep it in perspective. It’s a single event with a huge worldwide following. Hopefully, Bermuda will win the host position and that it can be parlayed into something more. It would be nice, however, to see something that can continue to generate income year-over-year as the triathlons did. As for the insult, well, you need to relax and use some introspection.

  3. Chart says:

    Wow!!!

  4. Custard Creme says:

    The America’s Cup, or the AC World Series? The venue for the America’s Cup proper is chosen by the winner of the previous event, and I doubt whether RBYC, RHADC, Sandys Boat Club or Spanish Point Boat Club are ready to compete at that level just yet.

    Even so, to see the 40-footers here would be extraordinary, a real coup and money spinner. Well done team!

  5. Coffee says:

    We impressed them in March …. And then the US CONSULATE had to open his mouth about the Seabright fallout in April .

    • cholly says:

      Yeah, but we can fix that!

    • If you haven't figured it out yet says:

      If you haven’t figured it out yet, that’s part of his job. He is not an employee of the Tourism Authority and his job is not to make Bermuda look good.

  6. Amazed says:

    As a bermudian and non-sailor here living, I now have a sense of urgency to see this beautiful event seen here, on bermuda waters, and am excited to see these boats hopefully!!!

  7. Robert says:

    Sorry, but it will never happen.

    • Triangle Drifter says:

      And your reasons for that highly imformative statement are???? I’ll give it that being short listed do not make it so. I don’t know how much room those boats need for a course. The Great Sound does seem small compared to San Francisco Bay. I’ve been across that. It is much larger. But hey, I am not a sailor so what do I know?

      I do know that extensive shoreside space & shoreside services are needed. It is a huge thing. Nothing at all like the Newport or Marion races where they arrive, they dock, then they party.

    • Sandy Bottom says:

      You hate to see any success, we all know that.

      It would be fantastic to have the event here. Good luck to the team making the bid.

      • Triangle Drifter says:

        Not a question of liking success or not. It is facing reality. Does Bermuda have the facilities to make it happen? If not, can somewhere be adapted to accomodate? This is far from being just having somewhere for them to race.

    • Huh says:

      This will never happen here. I was at the last AC in San Francisco and they had tens of thousands of people attending the event. It was a $1B event. We don’t have the hotels, infrastructure, boat yards, helicopters, sailmakers, tour boats, etc. etc. Sorry, we will never compete with large waterfront cities like San Diego, Chicago, San Francisco…

  8. Doug says:

    wow

  9. Simple question says:

    Do we have enough hotel rooms left to host an event of this magnitude?

    • Thad says:

      Even if there are not enough hotel rooms, that is what you charter cruise ships for. The would anchor out in the Sound, right by the course and people would love it. They did this in Perth in 1987..

    • Hopeful says:

      Maybe another hotel will be constructed by then! That is, if we all pull together!

  10. swing voter says:

    An attractive submission that resulted in Bermuda being short listed? without expensive overseas ‘ghost’ consultants with questionable credentials or controversial behavior? OMG I’m starting to believe in Bermuda…..again ;-)

  11. Vice Commodore Double Seven Single Niner says:

    I agree Commodore JB. BBIRYC will assist in whatever way possible to help with getting this prestigious yachting event to come to Bermuda. Commodore JB, if ever you wanted to use your wealth to do good for the Island then this is a great opportunity for you to promote our Island and our club.

  12. Bee Man says:

    We could entice them with the option of some Wednesday night sailing too

    • Hopeful says:

      What about having the crews compete in Bermuda Fitted Dinghys in between the main events!
      That would be something to watch!
      Can you picture Russel Coutts rounding the windward mark,and promptly sinking!

      • Triangle Drifter says:

        Now that would be a fun side event.

  13. Concernedsailor says:

    Did the Tourism authority look into what the costs of running this event will be and whether it is economically feasible?
    In it’s current state Bermuda lacks the following;
    >Sufficient hotel rooms for supporters.
    >An area of water where the races can be held and viewed from shore. (Great Sound may work for the smaller AC boats in the AC series but not the AC72s)
    >Infrastructure to support the teams and boats. We have nowhere these boats can be hauled on a daily basis for repairs, storage etc.
    Have the Tourism Authority actually consulted local sailors about the difficulties in hosting a sailing event of this magnitude? Apparently AC34 cost the city of San Francisco $11.5MM (http://www.yachtingmagazine.com/yachting-news-headlines/ac34-cost-san-francisco-115-million)and we know the costs associated with major projects in Bermuda run a lot higher than in the US.
    Would definitely be great publicity for the island, but I’d like to hear from the organizing committee how they want to make this work.

  14. Mumbo jumbo says:

    Good grief…useless muppet…sock puppet….name calling?….really??

  15. Mumbo jumbo says:

    Americas cup…it is an event that becons to sailors from foreign lands about the world, Let us look closely at the name….”Americas Cup”…Is it Americas’ or the plural to include South America?….To be thought of as a possible location would be wonderful…preparations to St. Georges have to be made….the most understated of all locations and bays,they need a lot of improvements along the bay shores that would cater to boaters a bit more…..do our schools include steel drums in their music classes,palm leaf hats and table baskets,and doilies,dolls,shirt ties (clip on),wall art,including real drift wood.

  16. Mumbo jumbo says:

    More acrumen dock lounging areas ,people tend to loke to lounge and view their vessel,note the wooden facia along the front of the dock…it acts as a beak water slowing lift.

  17. Mumbo jumbo says:

    Security as well….girls must be encouraged to be at their best behaviour,no curlers ….hair must be lookin good at all times…..and if you must pick up a man remember….no means no!

  18. Valirie Marcia Akinstall says:

    Well Mumbo Jumbo, you have left us speechless…

    This is impressive, positive news. And I would really like to see Bermuda host this event.

    To the IB sector, you have some very well established, internationally known brands that would raise the bar in international sponsorships. To have Bermuda and the brand name of major companies paired together would be a tourism advertising campaign that is unprecedented. Bermuda would penetrate both niche and conventional markets that we have never been able to access without spending $millions.

    This event, when achieved (I’m an optimist here) would be our equivalent of hosting the Olympics in international scale, scope and depth. And the 2012 Olympics raise the British consciousness out of a negative recession beaten slump to the height of euphoria.

    It’s good to know that opportunities are really knocking at our doors in Bermuda and we are seizing the moment.

    Looking forward to the next selection round and announcement. Good luck Bermuda!

    London, England

  19. just say NO says:

    So sorry as much as I wish we could I see no way we could do it. Just to much for such a small place to handle, the logistics alone would swamp our infrastructure. UNLESS they return to the proper sailing vessels not those planes on water. and even then.