Bermuda Lands More Regattas Due to America’s Cup, Positive Economic Impact Expected This Winter

Hamilton, Bermuda (October 20, 2015) – Bermuda has added an M32 sailing series to its sailing tourism calendar for the upcoming winter. Next year five races will take place on Bermuda waters in M32s, which are considered the next generation of catamaran racing.

These races are in addition to the two sailing events announced last month – RC44 in March 2016 and the Flying Phantom races in November of this year. Organisers of these race events say they wanted to come to Bermuda because it is the home of the America’s Cup.

“The America’s Cup is quickly becoming a game changer in our effort to build a year-round sailing tourism calendar,” said Bermuda Tourism Authority (BTA) CEO Bill Hanbury. “Between this November and next March we now have six new tourism sailing events and some of them, like the new M32 and RC44 events, attract a wealthy crowd of competitive boat owners with crews, spectators and media in tow. They will bring welcomed economic activity at a time we need it the most.”

Four of the five new M32 races will take place in the first quarter of 2016, the fifth in April. The high-tech M32 catamarans will be stored in Bermuda with owners and relative parties flying in and out of the island.

The M32 dates are: January 8-10; February 26-28; March 5-6; March 11-13; and April 15-17.

Meantime, the biennial Annapolis Bermuda Race is returning and will launch from Maryland on June 10, 2016.

The BTA today released an updated Sailing Tourism Calendar.

“On a weekly basis the BTA and ACBDA are having new conversations with sailing enthusiasts expressing interest in Bermuda and after the breath taking Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series racing here last weekend I wouldn’t be surprised to see that activity intensify,” Mr Hanbury said.

Since Bermuda was named home of the America’s Cup, seven international races have been introduced to the island. The list includes Flying Phantom, RC44, and five M32 races over a span of four months.

The BTA was part of the original bid team creating the proposal to land the America’s Cup and has also been a partner in landing other events for Bermuda.