America's Cup - AC50's to make a return to Bermuda?

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com NZ on 6 Oct 2017 Bermudian newspaper, The Royal Gazette is carrying a report that the AC50 wingsailed foiling catamaran's could make a return appearance on the Great Sound.

Sailing reporter and 2017 America's Cup correspondent, Colin Thompson writes:

America’s Cup foiling catamarans could potentially make a return to local waters in the near future.

It is understood that a regatta possibly featuring the AC50 foiling catamaran used for the 35th America’s Cup, which Bermuda hosted this year, could be held on the Great Sound.

Among those being linked to the project is Sir Russell Coutts, who served as the chief executive of the America’s Cup Event Authority.

“At this stage there are no set plans on anything,” was all that Alejandro Mato, Coutts’s personal assistant, was prepared to comment on when approached by The Royal Gazette.

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With the exception of Emirates Team New Zealand all team bases are currently still in Bermuda, whether they still contain AC50's is another matter.

With close to 20 boats of the AC50 or its smaller sister the AC45S in storage it seems hard to believe that with the shift to monohulls in the America's Cup that some regatta circuit would not be established using the boats which caught the imagination of the younger sailing fans at least.

In addition a smaller fleet of AC45F - one designs used for the America's Cup World Series is still in storage - waiting for a circuit. An annual regatta using that class was mooted for San Francisco, without further announcement.