Special ‘Lectronic: A Cup News

If you’ve been planning on playing hookey anytime in the near future, you might want to save it for next week. Oracle Racing will have two AC45s on the water here starting next Monday. After some practice time through June 10, they’ll be used to test the regatta operations and media side of the event for the ensuing couple weeks. Events for local media will be held June 13 and 14, and should make for good viewing off the Cityfront if the team manages to sequestor them in the meantime.

A few key changes to the event as a whole were announced on Tuesday. According to ACRM, a competitors meeting produced the modifications to the protocol. Chief among them is that the AC72s won’t appear on the water, racing, until the Louis Vuitton Cup in July ’13, allowing teams more time for design and development, and reducing the cost of competing in the America’s Cup World Series. The teams will be able to launch their AC72s starting July 1, ’12 — there is an "exception to launch and sail earlier for any proven, pre-existing contractual obligations" such as those due a team that entered under the original protocol.

As far as the ACWS is concerned, the first performance bond has been eliminated and replaced with an entry fee of $100,000, and teams can now enter late at discretion of the Defender. June 10 is now the last day to buy a new AC45 from ACRM with a 50% deposit.

The race format and scoring for the 2011 AC World Series was also decided upon. It will include a combination of fleet and match racing with winners for each, as well as an overall winner that will be determined on the final Sunday of the regatta. The AC World Series starts August 6, 2011 in Cascais, Portugal.