NASCAR built the need for speed. Now sailing has taken the cue and is showcasing a newer, faster format at the America’s Cup World Series in San Diego this month. Local San Diego sailing commentator Annie Gardner has seen the new class of double-hulled speed machines debut at the America’s Cup World Series in Europe this summer and expects the San Diego races to become the spectator event of the year.
“Plymouth showed this is really a spectator sport,” reports Gardner. Almost 100,000 viewed the races over seven days. Technology has completely revolution the viewing experience. Big screen displays on land and embedded cameras on board make viewers part of the race. That is a mission accomplished, according to Gardner. “We want to share out sport and show how exciting it can be to watch.”
Where should you watch and what should you watch for? Gardner recommends the America’s Cup Village complex at Broadway and Navy Piers. These will be equipped with temporary crew facilities for each of the nine teams competing, as well as announcer stations, broadcast screens and concessions. On November 12 and 13, a preliminary race series will take place. Then from November 16 to 20, classic match racing will set the best against the best to win with the fasted time on a compact course in San Diego Bay. The nearby San Diego Maritime Museum will also have an excellent view of the racing and offer covered facilities in the event it rains. Garnder pointed out that there was plenty of rain during the America’s Cup World Series in Plymouth, England this September and it made the race even more exciting to watch. Rain or shine, this new look at yacht racing will be a “must-see.”
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