America's Cup catamarans tipped to return to Bermuda

Bermuda locals are keen to see the America's Cup Class catamarans whizzing around on the Great Sound once more. Photo/PHOTOSPORT.

As Team New Zealand push ahead with plans to bring monohull racing back to the America's Cup, there is speculation the foiling catamarans used in Bermuda this year could yet make a return to the Great Sound.

Bermuda's Royal Gazette has claimed moves are under way to get a new regatta up and running, featuring the spectacular 50-foot catamarans sailed in this year's America's Cup.

The highly speculative piece has linked Russell Coutts, who served as the chief executive of the America's Cup Event Authority, to the new regatta.

Coutts personal assistant Alejandro Mato offered little clarity on the rumours.

"At this stage there are no set plans on anything," Mato told the Royal Gazette.

If such a regatta were to get off the ground, it is unlikely to feature the winning boat - Team New Zealand's Aotearoa.

Team NZ's race boat is currently being shipped back to Auckland, and is expected to arrive in the next week.

Kevin Shoebridge, the syndicate's chief operating officer, told the Herald last month with the Kiwi team's immediate thoughts since returning from Bermuda being on negotiating the Protocol and planning their Cup defence, they are yet to make a decision on what to do with their radical wingsail catamaran.

"We'll consider a range of things. We'll try hold on to it if we can - it's a pretty iconic piece of equipment now, so we'll have to come up with something that is appropriate for it."

Team NZ boss Grant Dalton suggested the Aotearoa could be displayed at the Maritime Museum alongside the syndicate's other famous piece of machinery - the 1995 America's Cup winning boat, NZL32.

While it seems impossible to contemplate such high-tech marine marvels now being considered museum pieces, there is also little point in the teams continuing to sail them, with Team NZ scrapping the foiling multihulls used in the past two editions of the
America's Cup in favour of 75-ft high performance monohulls.

Further details of the new class will be revealed on November 30, with the full class rule to be drawn up by March next year.

Already the New York Yacht Club have announced its plans to challenge for the next America's Cup, which will be held in Auckland in 2021, ending a 15-year hiatus from the event. Britain and France have signalled their intention to challenge in Auckland, while Switzerland and Australia have also expressed interest.