Katy Hallowell
Reporter
The America’s Cup sailing competition that has been raced overseas for the past 18 years is reentering the United States in San Francisco in 2013 thanks to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison’s win with the BMW Oracle racing team who is the title’s current defender.
Newport, R.I., Italy and Spain bid to host the 10-team competition, but the final decision will have the Presidio’s Golden Gate Yacht Club, of which Ellison is a member, host the event.
“Mr. Ellison is involved in all aspects [of planning], and very well informed,” Norbert Bajurin, Commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, said.
Convent’s sailing team currently operates out of St. Francis Yacht Club, located down in the Marina.
“We’re going to try and get involved in the competition in some way,” sailing team captain Meghan Helms said. “Everything will be getting started next year with the practices, and I want to see if we can get in on the action.”
Bajurin is working with others at Golden Gate Yacht Club to make this possible for teams such as Convent’s.
“At the moment we are putting a program together for the youth in our communities to get involved,” said Bajurin.
The race is currently planned to take place within San Francisco Bay. European countries where preliminary races are taking place have created courses on the open sea. San Franciscans will have elevated views of the entire race from the hills throughout the city. Construction is also in the works to transform Piers 19 and 29 into event affiliated-areas for viewers of the competition.
The extent of visibility of this particular event is expected to bring sailing into more homes through television nationwide.
This America’s Cup will also be premiering a new class of boats in the race, featuring catamarans for the first time. These 72-foot sail boats will be raced in various competitions until the final racing begins in San Francisco. According to Bajurin, the boats will arrive in San Francisco in June of 2012. This is the first time mono-hulls will not be raced in the competition.
Following preliminary racing in Europe this summer the final competition will take place in the Bay, the winner taking best out of five.
The America’s Cup sailing competition that has been raced overseas for the past 18 years is reentering the United States in San Francisco in 2013 thanks to Oracle CEO Larry Ellison’s win with the BMW Oracle racing team who is the title’s current defender.
Newport, R.I., Italy and Spain bid to host the 10-team competition, but the final decision will have the Presidio’s Golden Gate Yacht Club, of which Ellison is a member, host the event.
“Mr. Ellison is involved in all aspects [of planning], and very well informed,” Norbert Bajurin, Commodore of the Golden Gate Yacht Club, said.
Convent’s sailing team currently operates out of St. Francis Yacht Club, located down in the Marina.
“We’re going to try and get involved in the competition in some way,” sailing team captain Meghan Helms said. “Everything will be getting started next year with the practices, and I want to see if we can get in on the action.”
Bajurin is working with others at Golden Gate Yacht Club to make this possible for teams such as Convent’s.
“At the moment we are putting a program together for the youth in our communities to get involved,” said Bajurin.
The race is currently planned to take place within San Francisco Bay. European countries where preliminary races are taking place have created courses on the open sea. San Franciscans will have elevated views of the entire race from the hills throughout the city. Construction is also in the works to transform Piers 19 and 29 into event affiliated-areas for viewers of the competition.
The extent of visibility of this particular event is expected to bring sailing into more homes through television nationwide.
This America’s Cup will also be premiering a new class of boats in the race, featuring catamarans for the first time. These 72-foot sail boats will be raced in various competitions until the final racing begins in San Francisco. According to Bajurin, the boats will arrive in San Francisco in June of 2012. This is the first time mono-hulls will not be raced in the competition.
Following preliminary racing in Europe this summer the final competition will take place in the Bay, the winner taking best out of five.
