The next America’s Cup will be raced in Bermuda in June of 2017. The host venue was confirmed at a press conference in New York on Tuesday by Harvey Schiller, the Commercial Commissioner for the America’s Cup.
“The America’s Cup is the oldest international trophy in world sport. The first race was organised by the Royal Yacht Squadron in 1851. It was a single race around the Isle of Wight, open to yachts of all nations. The prize was a silver Cup that was valued at One Hundred Pounds sterling. The race was won by a syndicate from the New York Yacht Club.
The trophy was renamed the America’s Cup after the winning yacht and was donated to the New York Yacht Club under the terms of the Deed of Gift which made the Cup available for perpetual international competition.
American teams representing the New York Yacht Club successfully defended the Cup against all challenges for 132 years – the longest winning streak in sport – until an Australian team won in 1983. Since then, the Cup has become a truly global phenomena, with challenges from all five continents, and held in locations spread around the world – Cowes, New York, Newport, Fremantle, San Diego, Auckland, Valencia and San Francisco.
The America’s Cup is said to be the most difficult trophy in sport to win. In the more than 150 years since that first race around the Isle of Wight, only four nations have won what is thought to be the oldest trophy in international sport.” americascup.bm