The America’s Cup World Series Races is slated to return in October.
The 34th America's Cup in San Francisco consists of three main stages - the America's Cup World Series (August 21 to 26 and October 2 to 7, 2012), the Louis Vuitton Cup (July 4 to September1, 2013) and the America's Cup Finals (September 7 to 22, 2013). There will also be the new Red Bull Youth America’s Cup in August and September 2013.
San Francisco is the first city to host the America’s Cup where the races can be viewed from the shore.
For the World Series in October, the village will again be located on the Little Marina Green. For the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America's Cup Finals, the America’s Cup Village will be at Pier 27 on the Embarcadero.
Expected to become one of the legacies of the America’s Cup in San Francisco will be the city’s new James R. Herman Cruise Terminal at Pier 27, which will debut in the role of the America’s Cup Village in 2013. After the regattas, the structure will be the arrival and departure point for thousands of future cruise ship passengers.
The first America’s Cup World Series event in San Francisco was considered a success. It was seen by a crowd estimated at 150,000, peaking to 40,000 on the final day, visiting the America’s Cup Village at Marina Green during the regatta period (August 21 to 26). The spectator fleet on the Bay grew daily to a peak of 450 yachts on the final day. There were 163 accredited media from 11 countries and all five continents; more than 2,900 stories were published in more than 1,000 media outlets. Also, ticketed seating sold out daily for a capacity crowd of 6,600, and there were more than 1,600 hospitality guests over the four days.
The America’s Cup World Series is a professional circuit that brings America’s Cup-level racing and the America’s Cup experience to international venues. It boasts wing-sailed catamarans flying at speeds over 30 miles per hour, and a mix of fleet and match racing to test the abilities of the best sailing teams in the world. The AC45 catamarans in the America’s Cup World Series approach 30 knots (35mph/55kph). The new AC72 catamarans, each powered by a 40 m (131.2 ft) tall wingsail, are expected to exceed 40 knots (46mph/75kph).