The San Francisco Board of Supervisors this week approved the agreement to host the America’s Cup Sept. 7-22, 2013 in San Francisco.
The 2013 race will be the first time the competition for the “Auld Mug” will be held in San Francisco, where more than 1 million spectators are expected to turn out for the 34th edition of the America’s Cup.
The San Francisco agreement calls for teams to be based at Piers 30/32 and for the America’s Cup Village — the public race headquarters — to be at Piers 27/29. The port will pay for pier improvements.
“We have worked very hard to bring this historic race to San Francisco, and we’re very happy to have finally reached an agreement,” America’s Cup interim CEO Stephen Barclay said in a statement. “Now we are focused on making this the most spectacular race in America’s Cup history.”
The dates for this year’s racing for the America’s Cup World Series, the global circuit of events leading to the 2013 America’s Cup regatta in San Francisco, were also confirmed:
• AC World Series Naples, Italy — April 11-15
• AC World Series Venice, Italy — May 15-20
• AC World Series Newport, R.I. — June 26-July 1
• AC World Series San Francisco — Aug. 21-26
• AC World Series San Francisco — Oct. 4-7
America’s Cup racing in 2012 and 2013 will be televised internationally and, for the first time in more than 20 years, it will be broadcast free-to-air in the United States by the NBC Sports Network.
Before the end of 2013, the America’s Cup is expected to generate more than $1 billion in economic benefits for San Francisco and created several thousand jobs, organizers said.
