AC World Series Dates in Flux

Before you block vacation time or book flight reservations in order to watch the San Francisco edition of the America’s Cup World Series this summer, be aware that the tour dates are in a state of flux.

While no official announcement has yet been made, the AC website now states that the mid-August time slot originally allocated to San Francisco, will be given to either New York or San Francisco. In addition, dates for an October contest on San Francisco Bay are listed as TBC.

We don’t have the inside skinny on why the date changes are being made — or why this news is trickling out without an official announcement — but we can tell you that speculation among Cup afficionados includes the possibility that the AC Committee wants to overlap with the Bay’s annual Fleet Week, which draws huge crowds of sailors and non-sailors alike, and that New York weather demands a mid-summer calendar date. There’s no official word yet on the status of New York’s apparent bid to become an AC World Series host.

Weatherwise, October’s potentially milder winds and clearer skies might be a bonus for the Series — both in terms of TV visuals, and the AC 45s’ demonstrated tendancy to nose-dive in heavy wind-generated chop. In any case, we can’t wait for the fun to begin here on the Bay. We’ll keep you posted as dates are clarified.