The 35th America’s Cup on the Bay?

When it comes to major sporting events, none has been as marinated in uncertainty as the 34th America’s Cup. The latest possibility is not that the Artemis team might choose not to compete, but they might not be able to compete.

Grant Dalton of Emirates Team New Zealand told the New Zealand Herald that it’s unclear Artemis would be ready to sail before August 1. One problem is they don’t have a new wingsail yet. A second problem is that their new boat, if structurally similar to the one that broke up, might need to be redesigned and rebuilt. "Then they have to learn to sail [the new boat] so they can push it comfortably without getting into trouble. If that was us, we couldn’t do it in the time left."

If the Kiwis can’t do it, you have to wonder if anybody could.

If Artemis is a no-show, that would leave just New Zealand and Luna Rossa as challengers. Suddenly the America’s Cup summer could be stretched very, very thin for participants.

Meanwhile, there are reports that both Oracle and New Zealand have been zooming around the Bay with few problems — and in wind speeds higher than those that have been suggested as being safe for America’s Cup competition. The AC72s have been buzzing some of the recreational mariners on the Bay. Depending on the recreational sailor, it’s either been terrifying or fabulously exciting.

The Kiwis were long thought to be the favorites to win the America’s Cup, but the latest word we get is that Oracle is thought to have been moved into the favored position. "It’s all about the foils," we’re told.

Anybody ready for the possibility of America’s Cup 35 being held on San Francisco Bay?